


Refuge - Part I:  Laying the Foundation

by beancounter22765



Series: Refuge [1]
Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22059979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beancounter22765/pseuds/beancounter22765
Summary: Following the events of the Ouran Fair, Haruhi searches for a way to make Tamaki's idea of the Host Club as a family into reality.The first of a four story series following the lives of the Host Club.
Series: Refuge [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587760
Comments: 41
Kudos: 37





	1. What's Up With Haruhi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/5/20 for typos.

They all noticed. Ever since the Ouran Fair, Haruhi's behavior had changed. She had been spending a lot more time in the Third Music Room. Rather than packing up to go home as soon as Host Club hours were over, she would complete her homework and then settle in with a stack of books that she was storing in a cabinet. She's even made it a habit to ask one of the other hosts for a ride home. They also noticed how tired she appeared to be.

After a week, Tamaki couldn't take it anymore. As soon as he entered the Third Music Room, he checked to see if Haruhi was there. Because she wasn't, he went straight to the twins. Looking at both of them because he still couldn’t tell them apart, he asked, "Hikaru, has Haruhi said anything to you about what's going on? Why has she changed her habits?"

Hikaru just shrugged. "I haven't a clue, Tono."

Assuming that it was actually Hikaru that responded, Tamaki rounded on Kaoru. "What about you?" he demanded. "Why is my precious daughter acting this way? Is there some huge project for one of your classes? Have you perverts been harassing her in class again?"

"It's not a project for any of our classes. If you haven't noticed, all those books she has in the cabinet are law books," Kaoru replied. "Maybe you should, I don't know, ask her?" He gave Tamaki a pointed look.

"I don't want my precious daughter to get mad at me," Tamaki whined. "You know how she can be."

Just then, Honey and Mori entered, discussing Mori's upcoming kendo tournament. Tamaki hurried over to them. "Honey-sempai, has Haruhi told you why she's changed her habits?" Tamaki demanded. "I know you gave her a ride home yesterday."

"Sorry, Tama-chan, she hasn't mentioned anything to me. I'm just glad she's been more willing to allow us to help her, like giving her a ride home," Honey chirped. "I've noticed that she's been reading a lot of law books. Maybe she's preparing for college entrance exams or applying for scholarships. She does want to be a lawyer."

Mori nodded his agreement. Noticing Honey yawning widely, Mori shooed him toward the bed in the back corner so he could take a nap before it was time for host club hours.

Tamaki paced around the room, muttering to himself and gesturing wildly. " _She still has two years of high school. It doesn’t make sense that she would be applying for scholarships or studying for entrance exams this early."_ Then a thought occurred to him _, "Wait, has someone been threatening her? Is that why she's reluctant to go home and when she does go, she asks for a ride?_ "

Kyoya stepped quietly through the door and surveyed the room. Hikaru and Kaoru were sitting on their usual sofa with their heads together. " _Probably plotting mischief. I’ll have to keep an eye on them_ ," he thought darkly.

Mori-sempai was tucking Honey-sempai in for a short nap before club began in an hour. Kyoya nodded to himself that all was well in that quarter.

Next he noticed that Haruhi had not arrived yet. " _I hope everything is alright with her. I've noticed that she's been acting...different lately."_

Finally noting Tamaki's agitated behavior, Kyoya decided that was where he should focus his attention first. Approaching Tamaki, he said, "What seems to be the problem?"

Tamaki threw up his hands dramatically and shouted, "Okaa-san! Please tell me you know what is wrong with our precious daughter. Why has her behavior changed? No one else has any idea. Has she told you anything?"

Kyoya adjusted his glasses and smirked ruefully. "I've told you--stop calling me ‘okaa-san’. And when will you get it through your head that Haruhi is not your daughter? For your information, she has not confided in me abut I have also noted the changes in her behavior.

"She no longer bolts for home as soon as Host Club hours are over. Spending time with us outside of club hours no longer chafes her like an ill-fitting shoe. She actually seems to genuinely welcome the interactions. Rather than her dogged independence, she has taken to asking for help, and even rides home."

Pausing for a moment to reflect on other changes, he continued. “I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but all the law books she has been pouring over lately are related to family law and adoption. I fear that something might be wrong with Ryoji, Haruhi’s father.”

Tamaki’s expression was somber. “Do you think we should ask her about it?”

Kyoya opened his mouth to speak but, hearing the door open and seeing Haruhi enter, he closed it without uttering a sound. Shaking his head, he responded, quietly, for Tamaki’s ears only, “For now, I think we should let her tell us what’s going on when she is ready. We just need to be patient until then.”

Heaving a sigh, Tamaki murmured, “You’re probably right. But let’s keep a close eye on her, regardless.” Bypassing the corner where his usually grew mushroom, he headed to the sofa where he entertained his princess and checked to be sure everything was in order.

With his eyes following Haruhi’s progress to the kitchen to begin preparing refreshments, Kyoya mutter, “I always do. Even moreso since she stood up to my father.” But Tamaki didn’t hear.

**^^^^^FLASHBACK – FIRST DAY OF OURAN FAIR^^^^^**

_*SLAP* Kyoya’s cheek stung from his father’s blow. Keeping his stoic mask firmly in place so his father could not see his surprise, he surreptitiously looked around for his glasses, knocked away by the slap._

_He heard the collective gasp from the crowd and Haruhi’s voice calling, “Kyoya-sempai”. He tried to focus on her instead of his father muttering, “Is this how my son has been wasting his time?”_

_There are protests from the crowd and the other hosts, but those all focus on his father. Only she focused on him. Before walking away, his father growled, “You are an embarrassment to the Otori name.”_

_Her voice uncertain, she asked, “He wasn’t upset with you because of the Host Club, was he?” Haruhi’s soft attention filled his ears and touched his soul. She sounded like she thought the Host Club was her fault._

_I had to reassure her somehow, so I said offhandedly, “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like I haven’t been expecting this.” And I can almost believe those empty words because she cares._

**^^^^^END FLASHBACK^^^^^**

Kyoya shook his head as if to dislodge the memory. “ _I just can’t stop thinking about her. How she called my name. How she focused on me while everyone else was focused on my father_. _And then there’s how she stood up to him—actually talked back to him._ ”

**^^^^^FLASHBACK—SECOND DAY OF OURAN FAIR^^^^^**

_After Haruhi’s very uncomfortable meeting with Éclair Tonnere, Kyoya walked up and said, “Thank you for all your hard word until now, Haruhi. With this last designation from Lady Éclair, you have met your quota. The debt you owed from breaking the Renaissance vase has been paid off. You can quit being a host any time now.”_

_“Oh how much it hurt to say those words to her,” Kyoya thought, especially as Haruhi just sat there looking at him in disbelief and shock._

_Yoshio stepped up behind Kyoya and said, “Although you may hold a misconception you have all the time you want when you are young, reality isn’t always like that. Stop wasting your time on useless activities.”_

_His condescending tone snapped Haruhi out of her trance. She stood and fiercely declared, “At the Host Club, Kyoya-sempai works very had so that everyone can be happy. By making everyone happy, we also feel accomplished and pleased inside. Is making everyone happy that worthless an activity? I think that Kyoya-sempai is amazing!”_

_Yoshio just walked away without even acknowledging Haruhi’s statement._

**^^^^^END FLASHBACK^^^^^**

“ _For all that Haruhi is a commoner, she understands the need to keep clients and business partners happy. That is one area my father tends to forget, preferring intimidation,_ ” Kyoya pondered. “ _And she said I was amazing. She stood up to my father and said I was amazing._ ”

With one last glance toward the kitchen where the object of his thoughts was working diligently at her tasks, he shook his head in wonder. Setting those thoughts aside, he went back to work on the Host Club’s accounts.

* * *

Haruhi paced the floor restlessly. Since she came to the realization that she considered the Host Club her family following the events during the Ouran Fair, she had been working on an idea to protect them. “ _This is taking too long. What if Kyoya’s father—or Tamaki’s grandmother—does something before I have things ready? How can I protect them? I don’t want to lose them…any of them. I need to get the safety net in place as soon as possible.”_

“Haruhi?” Ranka (as Ryoji had not changed out of his feminine persona yet) asked tentatively when she returned from work late to find Haruhi pacing the floor, muttering to herself. “Why aren’t you in bed asleep? It’s one in the morning and you have school tomorrow—or rather, later today.”

Haruhi rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Sorry, Dad. I just can’t get my thoughts to stop whirling. Each scenario is more improbably than the last, but my mind just keeps imaging ways I could lose the guys in the Host Club and I have to find a way to protect them.”

“You still haven’t been able to work out all the kinks in your plans?” Ranka inquired, wrapping her arms around Haruhi, rubbing her back gently, and placing a kiss on her temple. “It’s funny. I should be jealous that you seem to be replacing me with six handsome, rich guys. But I’m actually glad that you’ve opened yourself up to deeper relationships. You have definitely blossomed into a lovely, caring young women since you met them.”

“What if I can’t get things set up in time? What if I lose them?” In a moment of despair, Haruhi actually whimpered as she clung to Ranka. “I can’t lose them—not any of them.”

“Shh, Baby Girl. You can do this. You have a lot of the information already. Hey, why don’t you contact Ryo Naruse at the law firm where your mother used to work? Incidentally, he contacted me the other day. He wanted to know if you would be interested in an internship at the firm. Maybe you could work out an internship exchange? You do some office work for them and they help you with the legal set up?  
  


Haruhi’s face lit up and she grabbed Ranka in a huge hug. “That’s a great idea, Dad. I’ll need to clear it with Chairman Suoh as well, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good. You should probably also talk to the guys. They may have ideas and they definitely have resources that you haven’t considered. Now, you get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning. Or at least later this morning,” she said with a yawn.

“Night, Dad. Thanks.”

Ranka watched Haruhi head for her bedroom. “ _She’s grown so much since she met those boys. Kotoko, you would be so proud of our little girl. I’m glad she cares so deeply for her friends.”_

For the first time since the Ouran Fair, Haruhi slept peacefully.

* * *

Honey looked pensive as he followed Mori into the kendo dojo. “Takashi, would you mind if I don’t watch kendo practice today?”

Mori cocked an eyebrow questioningly.

“I’ve been thinking about what Tama-chan asked the other day, about Haruhi. Why has she changed her behavior?” Honey supplied.

Mori’s expression cleared, realizing what Honey wanted to do. “Go.”

“Thanks, Takashi. I’ll see you at Host Club later,” Honey responded as he left the dojo in search of Haruhi.

_“Where to look first?”_ he wondered. _“I know—I’ll start in the club room. If she’s not there, she’ll probably be getting books from one of the libraries.”_

Honey opened the door to the Third Music Room and stepped in quietly. Glancing around, he saw Haruhi seated at the table by the window, engrossed in a book with papers scattered around. She started as Honey walked to her side and asked, “Haru-chan, may I ask you a question?”

Smiling, she replied, “Sure Honey-sempai. What do you want to know?”

Honey fidgeted a little and then blurted, “We’ve all been wondering, why has your behavior changed?”

It was his turn to startle as Haruhi started to chuckle. “Let’s go sit on the sofa, Honey-sempai, and I’ll try to explain.”

Puzzled, Honey followed her to the sofa where he and Mori usually entertained guests. He sat down tentatively. _“I’m worried that she has something bad—no, that not right…depressing…no, not that either…troubling—that’s it—to tell me_.”

Noticing the worried expression on Honey’s face, she reached for his hand. “Hey, don’t worry, sempai. It’s nothing bad. I just figured we would be more comfortable here than at the table with all my clutter.”

Honey visibly relaxed and gave Haruhi a small smile. “So…” he prompted, still holding her hand.

“When I first came to Ouran, I didn’t plan to get involved in any way. I was just going to concentrate on my studies. But then I encountered the Host Club and my life was turned upside down.

“At first I fought it. In some ways, my life was a lot like Hikaru and Kaoru’s. My dad and I were my world since my mom died. Just as I unwittingly invaded the twins’ world, the Host Club invaded mine.

“Seeing how Kyoya was treated by his father--and Tamaki by his grandmother—as well as the offhanded dismissal of the Host Club, I was incensed by the injustice.”

Haruhi paused to look at Honey-sempai. She couldn’t read his expression, but he finally said, “Go on.”

Nodding, she continued, “So, the reason my behavior has changed is because I realized a few things during the Ouran Fair and it took me some time to mentally sort it all out.”

“First, we are family. I know, I know, Tamaki has been saying that all along. But I,” she emphasized, pointing to herself, “I finally understood what he meant. Until now, ‘family’ meant my dad and me, since my mom died when I was young. That’s family by blood, born into it, no choice in the matter.”

“We,” Haruhi gestured around the room to indicate the host club, “we are family of the heart, choosing each other, despite—or maybe because of—our flaws and differences. It first occurred to me when Kyoya informed me that Éclair had paid off my debt and I was no longer shackled to the host club. In that moment, I realized that I wanted to spend time with you guys.

“When we heard Tamaki was leaving to marry Éclair, it felt like someone was trying to tear off an arm. No matter how much he annoyed me in the past, I didn’t hesitate when Kyoya told the twins and me to bring him back. It was the only thing to do. We had to keep our family together.”

Honey nodded, acknowledging Haruhi’s point.

“Second,” she continued, “we need each other. I know you’ve all been trying to teach me that I can and should ask for help. That was a hard lesson for me to learn because I always had to take care of myself and my dad. Helping each other is really the only way to know that we are connected to each other’s lives. Like when Tamaki needed us to bring him back. We needed you and Mori-sempai to clear the way so we could go after Tamaki. And we all needed Kyoya to coordinate everything so our efforts wouldn’t be wasted.

“I finally realized I needed to rely on you guys because you all needed to know that I trust you. I had to stop closing myself off from people, if I was every going to grow and mature.”

Haruhi paused for a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing.

Honey scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her waist, giving her a quick hug. “Thank you for telling me this, Haru-chan. It means a lot that you’re confiding in me.”

Smiling, Haruhi slipped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a hug in return, leaning her head against his. “It hit me just today that I needed to talk to someone about this. I’m glad you asked just after I finished thinking it all through.”

“Now, where was I,” she continued. “The third thing I learned is that some of my family is hurting deeper than they realize or are willing to admit. I was so, so angry about the way Kyoya’s father slapped and belittled him in front of everyone. And then Tamaki’s grandmother…” Haruhi practically growled, “I can’t believe she blames Tamaki for his parents’ actions. He has done everything to try to meet her standards, but she treats him like trash. I wish there was some way I could protect Kyoya and Tamaki.”

Honey patted her hand, drawing her out of the memories and her anger.

Haruhi smiled ruefully, “Thanks, sempai. Not the headspace I should be in when our guests arrive in a few minutes.”

He just smiled and asked, “Is that all?”

“One more thing,” Haruhi replied. “I realized that I enjoy spending time with you guys. Despite my protests, I’ve even begun to enjoy the outrageous cosplay and the bizarre outings. I’m tired of being alone and I can’t go back to that, not with what I’ve found here with you guys.”

“I’m glad,” Honey said. “Glad you’ve found your place here and glad you told me these things.”

Before Haruhi could respond, the doors banged open and the twins sauntered in. “Haruhi, we’ve been looking all over for our toy,” Hikaru announced when he spotted her on the sofa with Honey.

Jokingly, Haruhi answered, “I haven’t seen our toy and I’m not your maid to clean up after you and put away your things.”

Hikaru and Kaoru were about to return the verbal barb when Tamaki burst through the door, pointed dramatically at the twins and shouted, “Keep your hands off my precious daughter, you perverts!”

Haruhi shook her head and whispered to Honey, “And here we go again.” Then she stood up to head to the kitchen to begin preparing refreshments for their guests.

Honey grabbed her hand before she took her second step. When she turned to look at him, he said, seriously, “Thank you for confiding in me, Haruhi.”

She smiled at him fondly. “You’re welcome, sempai.”

That tableau--Honey holding Haruhi’s hand and them smiling fondly at each other--was what Kyoya saw when he entered the Third Music Room. His eyes narrowed, his mouth tightened into a frown, and he clenched his fists. “ _What’s going on here?”_ he murmured to himself. “ _It’s bad enough Tamaki’s interested in her. Is Honey-sempai wooing her as well?”_

Taking a deep breath, he walked to his usual table and pulled out his laptop. “ _I need to get my emotions under control before the guests start to arrive. I have no claim on her. I haven’t even hinted at how I feel about her. And I can’t because Tamaki likes her and he’s my best friend.”_ Pushing his misery into the back of his mind, he started preparing for Host Club to begin.


	2. Pushing Ahead

Haruhi approached the receptionist’s desk, mentally bracing herself. “ _You can do this He’s an old friend of mom’s. It’s for the guys. I have to protect them.”_

“May I help you?” the petite brunette sitting at the desk asked quietly. “Do you have an appointment?”

Taking a breath to steady her nerves, Haruhi replied, “Yes, I have an appointment with Mr. Naruse. My name is Haruhi Fujioka.”

“Please have a seat. I will inform Mr. Naruse that you have arrived.”

“Thank you.”

Haruhi settled on the edge of one of the chairs lining the walls of the reception area. She was too intent on her interview to examine the tastefully appointed room or the magazines artfully fanned out on the coffee table.

The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Good afternoon, Mr. Naruse. Your four o’clock appointment, Haruhi Fujioka is here.” She then hung up the phone and returned to her other tasks.

A minute later, the door to the right of the receptionist’s desk opened and a tall distinguished gentleman with streaks of grey in his hair stepped out. “Ah, Miss Fujioka, so good to see you again. It’s been years. Ryoji is right, you really do favor your mother,” he said, offering his hand.

Haruhi rose and walked over to shake the proffered hand. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Gesturing through the door he came out of, he said, “Please come into my office. It’s the first door on the right.”

Entering the office indicated, Haruhi stood and waited for Mr. Naruse. As he walked around his desk to his chair, he waved towards the chair in front to his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

She settled in to the comfortable chair and examined the room as she waited.

“Ryoji told me you would be interest in an internship here at the law firm. We’ve been looking for an intern, but none of the candidates we’ve spoken to so far have been acceptable,” Mr. Naruse stated ruefully.

“Just what are you looking for in an intern?” Haruhi inquired.

Mr. Naruse chuckled. “This reminds me of my interview with your mother. No nervous chattering or starry-eyed glances, just a ‘let’s-get-down-to-business’ attitude. I think you’ll do well as in intern now and a lawyer later.”

“Thank you. What exactly does the internship entail?” she asked.

“Let’s see. It will be three days a week—Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Your tasks will mostly be menial things like filing and typing. Occasionally you may be asked to research a topic, run papers to the courthouse and file them, or go out to pick up coffee or meals.

The hours are six to nine in the evening. Because of the lateness of the hour, one of us will drive you home. This neighborhood has become much rougher in recent years, so no one should be out alone after eight.”

“What if I have someone pick me up?”

“Just let us know and have them come inside to get you. It’s just a matter of safety.”

Haruhi considered for a moment. “That’s reasonable.”

Mr. Naruse nodded. “Now, let’s talk about what is usually the biggest sticking point—compensation. Because it is an internship, the pay is minimal. Is that a problem?”

“ _Okay, now’s the important question, will he consider legal advice too valuable to compensate an internship_ ,” Haruhi thought. To Mr. Naruse, she said, “What would you say t compensating me with legal advice rather than money?”

Mr. Naruse looked puzzled and intrigued. “It depends. What kind of advice are you looking for?”

“Family law and adoption, mostly,” Haruhi replied.

“Is there something I should know about between you and Ryoji?” he asked, concern evident in his expression and voice.

“No, Dad and I are fine. I have two friends from Ouran that might be disowned by their families. I want to create a family that they can be adopted into to protect them. I’ve read all sorts of law books and I know, in theory, it’s legal. However, none of the books cover the document filings required.” Haruhi watched Mr. Naruse’s face to see his reaction.

He cocked his head, “Hmm, that’s an interesting solution to the problem. Why not have them adopted into an existing family?”

“Well, they are both from powerful families. By creating a brand new family, there won’t be any collateral damage to the extended family members of the adopting family.”

“That’s well thought out. Yes, I think the internship would be comparable exchange for the legal help.”

Haruhi hesitated. “There is one more detail. I have to secure special permission from my school for the internship. Generally, students are not allowed outside jobs of any kind. However, I can argue that all of my classmates have access to work experience through their family connections so this is just leveling the playing field.”

“That’s right, Ryoji mentioned that you got yourself into Ouran. So that’s why you have friends there,” Mr. Naruse chuckled. “With the kind of thinking you’ve displayed during this interview, I expect you to be a formidable lawyer in the not-too-distant future.”

“Thank you for your kind words. So, do we have a deal, if I can secure the waiver from the school?” Haruhi stood and held out her hand.

Standing up behind his desk, Mr. Naruse took her offered and shook it firmly. “Let me know when you can start. I have no doubt that you will be successful in securing the waiver. I’m looking forward to your work here. Let me give you my business card to pass along to the school so they can contact me about the validity of the internship.”

“Thank you so much. I’ll let you know when I can start as soon as I can.” She took the card and slipped it into her wallet.

Walking around his desk, he said, “Let me walk you out.”

* * *

“I would like to make an appointment to speak to Chairman Suoh, please,” Haruhi asked the secretary.

Bored, the secretary inquired, “What is this regarding?”

“I need to request permission for an internship.”

Before the secretary could respond, the door to the Chairman’s office was flung open. “Miss Fujioka, so good to see you. Please, please come in.” He grinned and gestured broadly for Haruhi to enter. To the secretary, he said, “Please hold my calls. I do not wish to be disturbed during this meeting.”

Shutting the door, Mr. Suoh indicated for Haruhi to take a seat on the sofa. “Please, I asked you to call me Uncle Yuzuru. Now, what can Uncle do for you?” he said as he dropped dramatically onto the facing sofa.

Haruhi settled onto the sofa and got straight to the point. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I know that the student handbook states that students may not have jobs. However, I would like permission for an internship at the law firm where my mother used to work.”

Soberly, Mr. Suoh asked, “Why should you be given this special dispensation?”

“Actually, it would put me on a more even footing with my classmates. Most of them have access to work experience through either their parents or some other relative that helps round out and apply their learning. Their families provide them with an advantage to which I currently have no access. Because I do not have family influences, I have to make my own opportunities.”

“You make a very good point. It speaks well of you that you recognize the value of work experience as part of a well-rounded education. Do you have any particulars on this internship?” Mr. Suoh inquired, leaning towards her in interest.

“Ryo Naruse, a lawyer at the firm where my mother used to work, contacted me about my availability for an internship. It would be three days a week, in the evenings, so as not to interfere with my class or club schedules. This will be an excellent opportunity since I intend to become a lawyer like my mother.” Pulling the business card from her wallet, she handed it to Mr. Suoh. “Here is his business card with his contact information. Mr. Naruse is expecting to hear from you.”

Mr. Suoh took the card and contemplated it for a few minutes. Haruhi sat quietly, allowing him to consider the matter. Finally, he said, “Will you allow me a few days to check into the appropriateness and validity of this internship?”

“Certainly. Shall I expect your answer next week?” Haruhi replied.

“Come back to see me on Wednesday after classes are over, before club hours begin. I will have my secretary put it on my calendar.”

“Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing your determination next week.” Haruhi started to stand up to leave but a gesture from Mr. Suoh stopped her.

“Before you go, please allow me to ask how you are doing. Still excelling in your classes? Club activities going well?”

Haruhi was puzzled, but she responded, “Classes are challenging, but that’s what makes them interesting. Club activities have been a little quiet since we just had the Ouran Fair.”

“What do you think of my son, Tamaki? Isn’t he a fine boy? A good prospect?” Mr. Suoh asked, a hint of intrigue in his voice.

Haruhi decided to be uncharacteristically diplomatic, since her scholarship could be riding on the answer to these questions. “Um, we’re friends and we have a lot of fun in the host club. As you can probably tell by the way I dress, I don’t pay a lot of attention to outward appearances, but Tamaki has a good heart and he really cares about people and their happiness.”

Mr. Suoh hummed and smiled. Then he said, “Well, I’ll let you get back to classes. Remember, if you ever need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask Uncle Yuzuru.”

Nodding skeptically, Haruhi replied, “Thank you for your time today. I look forward to hearing from you next week.”

* * *

Kyoya pulled out his phone and looked at the alert that had just chimed. _“What’s Haruhi doing in the Chairman’s office?_ ” he wondered. _“Father mentioned that he and Yuzuru both have their eyes on Haruhi as a suitable match for me or Tamaki. Was Yuzuru pressing Tamaki’s suit?”_

Taking his lunch to a small private dining room, Kyoya set up his laptop and pulled up the security footage from the Chairman’s office, running it back until he saw Haruhi enter the office. Clenching his fists, Kyoya thought, “ _Uncle Yuzuru indeed. Who does he think he is?”_

When Haruhi started to talk about the internship, Kyoya’s eyebrows inched up in surprise. “ _Could things be worse than I thought? Is Haruhi getting a job to support herself?”_

Deep in thought, he shut down his laptop and returned it to his bag. He no longer had any appetite for lunch so he packed up and headed to his next class.

Uncharacteristically, for the rest of the day Kyoya walked around in a fog, fixated on Haruhi and all the recent changes. When Tamaki tried to question him about it before club hours, Kyoya just gave him the ‘Shadow King’ look and returned his focus to his laptop.

After a few minutes, he decided that he couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. _“I can’t talk to Haruhi with the rest of the Host Club watching her like hawks. I know, I can ask Ryoji what’s going on.”_

Kyoya pulled out his phone and sent a text to Ryoji.

*****Do you know why Haruhi has been acting strange lately?*****

Kyoya expected it to be several hours before he received a reply, but within minutes, there was a chime for an incoming text.

*****I do know what is bothering her. She will tell you when she’s ready.*****

Ryoji’s cryptic answer did nothing to assuage Kyoya’s worry so he decided to try a different tack.

*****Had something happened between the two of you?*****

Once again, a prompt reply.

*****No. We’re fine. She will probably tell you soon. Just be patient.*****

“ _Not one of my strong suits,”_ Kyoya growled to himself. He knew he was being petty, but he sent one last text anyway.

*****Very well.*****

* * *

First thing Wednesday morning, the teacher called Haruhi to her desk. “This message from Chairman Suoh is for you,“ she said as she handed it over with a questioning look on her face.

Haruhi’s face lit up in comprehension. “Oh, I’ve been waiting for this. Thank you.”

“Now, if you’ll return to your seat, we can start class.” Her tone was clipped, curiosity and disappointment present as Haruhi made no move to open the note or reveal the expected content.

“Yes, sensei,” Haruhi replied.

As she walked back to her seat, Hikaru and Kaoru sidled up on either side of her and asked, “Whatcha got there?”

“A message,” she teased.

“What’s it say?” Hikaru prompted.

“I haven’t opened it yet, so how would I know?”

“So open it,” Kaoru pouted.

“I’ll get around to it. Class is about to start. I don’t have time right now.” Slipping it into her pocket, she smirked, settled into her desk, and took out her books.

“Rude,” the twins said in unison as they sat down on either side of her and pulled out their own books.

Haruhi could barely concentrate during class with the twins taking turns pestering her about the message. As soon as class ended, she packed up her books and announced, “I’ll see you in the next class. I need to use the bathroom.” Abruptly she stood up and walked away.

Hikaru and Kaoru could only stare after her. “More strange behavior from Haruhi,” Kaoru remarked.

“Yeah,” Hikaru responded. “We need to tell Tono.”

Meanwhile, Haruhi slipped into the nearest bathroom and locked the door. Taking the note from her pocket, she read:

‘Please join me in my office for lunch today. Uncle Yuzuru.’

“ _Hmm, I guess he didn’t want to wait until after classes. How am I going to give the boys the slip so I can make it to my meeting?”_ she pondered.

Haruhi wracked her brain through the next two class periods, trying to come up with a plausible excuse not to eat lunch with the twins or other members of the Host Club. _“How ironic. I’m doing this to be with them, but I’m avoiding and hiding from them while I get all the pieces in place.”_

The answer to her dilemma came in the form of a harried secretary appearing ten minutes before class was to be dismissed for lunch. “I have an urgent message for Fujioka,” she ‘whispered,’ as she was heard in the back of the classroom.

The teacher called, “Fujioka,” and gestured for her to come to the front of the classroom. Given the time, Haruhi collected her materials and then made her way to the teacher’s desk.

“Please come with me,” the secretary said, motioning for Haruhi to proceed her.

“What’s that all about?” Hikaru asked Kaoru.

He shrugged and responded, “I haven’t got a clue.”

Haruhi waited outside the classroom door. After the secretary closed the door, she said, “Your parent has an important delivery for you. Please follow me.”

Puzzled, Haruhi followed the secretary to the small salon where Ranka was waiting, holding a large manila envelope.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” Haruhi asked.

“Mr. Naruse needed to get these documents to Chairman Suoh today, but he had to be in court early, so he asked me to bring them. You mentioned that you have a meeting with him today, so I figured you could deliver them,” Ranka rambled a little as she was overwhelmed by the opulence of the salon.

“Oh, okay.” Haruhi shrugged and accepted the envelope.

Ranka stood up and pulled Haruhi into a hug. “I have to get to work, so I’ll see you when I get home.”

Haruhi returned the hug and said, “See you tonight.” Then she walked Ranka to the front steps and waved farewell.

When the chimes rang a minute later, Haruhi realized it was time for her lunch with the Chairman, so she hurried up the stairs to the Chairman’s office, knowing that the twins would come looking for her as soon as class was dismissed.

When she entered the reception area, she found Chairman Suoh talking to his receptionist.

“…not be disturbed for the next hour, especially by my son. If he doesn’t show up—though I suspect he will—please send him a message that I would like to see him between the end of classes and the beginning of club hours.”

The receptionist nodded and made a note on her tablet. “Of course, sir.”

Just then, Yuzuru spotted Haruhi. “Come in, come in. I’ve been looking forward to our lunch together.” He escorted her to the table in his office which was opulently decked out with an extravagant luncheon. “Tamaki mentioned that you rarely get the opportunity to eat fancy tuna so I made sure that it was included in our meal today.”

Haruhi murmured, “Why, thank you. That’s very generous.”

As Yuzuru held her chair, Haruhi suddenly remembered the envelope she was carrying. After she was seated and he pushed her up to the table, she said, “Oh, by the way, Mr. Naruse sent this for you via my father.”

Yuzuru accepted the envelope absentmindedly and tossed it on his desk before settling in the seat across from her.

For the next half hour, Haruhi listened, bemused, as Yuzuru flitted from subject-to-subject like a hummingbird in a flower garden. When he finally stopped to eat a bite of lunch, Haruhi snatched at the opportunity and asked, “So, have you decided about whether I can accept the internship?”

Yuzuru’s eyebrows shot up and he swallowed his mouthful of food. “That’s right. That was the point of our lunch today, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, Chairman, it was,” Haruhi replied, smiling mischievously.

“But of course. I have decided to grant permission. Mr. Naruse said he would bring some documents for each of us to sign—a permission waiver for me and a confidentiality agreement for you. I wonder when he will arrive,” he asked absently.

“Maybe the envelope I gave you from him?” she prompted.

“The envelope? What envelope?” he asked, confused.

Haruhi pointed to the envelope on his desk. “I handed it to you and you tossed it on your desk.”

Yuzuru got up and walked over to his desk. Opening the envelope, he pulled out two documents. “Ah, just what we were talking about. Here, you sign yours and I’ll sign the one for the school. Then I will have my secretary see that they are delivered to Mr. Naruse this afternoon.”

Haruhi took the proffered document and read through it. Satisfied that is was a standard confidentiality agreement, she signed and dated it. “Here you go,” she said, handing it back.

“Thank you. I will take care of things from here. Thank you for the wonderful lunch companionship. Please enjoy the rest of your day.”

Bowing respectfully, she replied, “Thank you for lunch and the approval for the internship.”

Yuzuru walked her to the reception area where he waved a dismissal and said, “You go on to your class. It’s almost time for the bell.” Then he turned to his secretary and instructed, “Please see that these documents are delivered to the law office of Mr. Ryo Naruse.”

As Haruhi walked to her class, she thought happily, “One step closer. Soon I’ll be able to tell them all about it.”

* * *

Haruhi walked into the third music room with a bright smile on her face. Everyone noticed but Tamaki as the only one willing to ask, “What are you smiling about?”

Not quite ready to tell them yet, she replied, “Nothing special. Just feeling happy right now.”

Kyoya watched her from across the room. “ _She must have received permission for the internship today. I’ll have to check the security tapes later,_ ” he surmised under his breath. Despite Ryoji’s assurances, between the law books and the internship, Kyoya couldn’t help speculating that Haruhi was preparing to support herself.


	3. Escalating Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events conspire against Haruhi to speed up her timeline.

Before getting dressed for the day, Kyoya texted the Host Club, excluding Haruhi. 

*****We need to meet this morning. Be in the club room in one hour. We need to discuss Haruhi.*****

“ _After her meeting with the Chairman, we need to decide when and how to approach Haruhi about her behavior,_ ” he told himself as he finished his morning routine and prepared to leave for the meeting.

* * *

Tamaki was waiting in front of the school when Kyoya’s car pulled up. “What do we need to discuss about Haruhi? Have you found out what has been going on with her?” he demanded even before Kyoya had fully exited the car.

Kyoya pushed up his glasses and responded, “We will discuss this once we are all together. There’s no use in having the same conversation four or five times.”

Sulking, Tamaki followed Kyoya to the club room where the other four members were waiting for them. “Thank you all for coming so early,” Kyoya remarked.

“Do you have information about Haruhi?” Hikaru piped up.

Long-sufferingly, Kyoya replied, “That is the purpose of this meeting, to determine what information we do have and then decide when and how we should approach Haruhi for further answers.”

Honey looked sheepish. “I may have some information about why she’s been acting different lately. She confided in me the other day.”

“What did she say?!?!?” Tamaki demanded. “And what were you doing with my precious daughter?”

A glare from Kyoya quelled Tamaki’s outburst. “Please allow him the opportunity to provide us with the information that he has.”

“Oh, okay,” Tamaki mumbled sulkily.

“Well, the other day I went to talk to Haruhi rather than watch Takashi’s kendo practice. We were all wondering about her change in behavior and I just had to ask her.” Honey chuckled. “She said I caught her at just the right time. She said she had realized some things during the Ouran Fair and she wanted someone to talk to about it.”

“But why not us?” Hikaru demanded. “We’ve been there in class with her all the time, but she keeps trying to hide things and avoid us.”

“I think it was just my timing,” Honey allowed, shrugging.

“Harrumph,” Hikaru grunted as he crossed his arms and looked stubborn.

“Please allow him to continue,” Kyoya interrupted.

“Thank you, Kyo-chan,” Honey said. “So, the first thing she told me she discovered during the Ouran Fair were that we are her heart family, not born into the same family but mutually chosen, just like Tamaki has been saying all along. It was after Kyoya told her Éclair had paid off the debt. She realized that she was no longer shackled to us by the debt but she wanted to be with us anyway. She actually likes us and wants to spend more time with us. 

“Next she said she realized that she needs to learn to ask for help and allow us to help her, so she can show us that she trusts us. Helping one another is the tangible evidence that we are part of each other’s lives—that we’re connected.

“Finally, she revealed that members of our family were hurting deeper than they realized or were willing to admit. She expressed a righteous fury about the way certain members of our family were treated during the Ouran Fair.” Honey’s voice was soft and contemplative by the time he finished speaking, his glance flitting from Kyoya to Tamaki and back again.

“Well, that explains a lot about her change in behavior,” Kaoru stated. “It’s great to know she actually likes us and wants to spend time with us.”

“Yeah, better than thinking she was using us to avoid a bully or stalker,” Tamaki put in.

Kyoya nodded. “That explains her change in behavior towards us. There is one thing that still needs to be explained—the law books. They are all on family law and adoption. I have texted Ryoji but he claims things are fine between them and he is in good health.” To himself, he thought, “ _And then there’s the matter of the internship. Why does she need the job?”_

Honey shrugged and said, “Maybe it’s time to just ask Haruhi about the law books?”

Hikaru interjected, “How about we ask her about it next week if she hasn’t told us herself before then?”

“That would be a good idea,” Kaoru added.

Glancing around at the hopefully expressions, Kyoya said, “Very well, if she has not told us by next Tuesday, I will ask her about the law books.” Internally he added, “ _And the internship.”_

Mori tapped Honey on the shoulder and pointed to his watch. Honey smiled and nodded. “It’s almost time to head to class but Takashi and I want to make an announcement after Host Club hours this afternoon. I’d make it now, but I want Haruhi to hear it, too.”

“Please remind us when we gather this afternoon. You can make your announcement before we start homework,” Tamaki said. “Now, off we go.”

* * *

Yuzuru looked up from the reports on his desk when the office door opened. He was startled to see his mother enter. “Good evening, Shizue. To what do I owe this honor?” he asked.

“We need to talk about a few things,” she responded.

He stood up and moved to the sofa in the sitting area of his office. He gestured to the armchair that was her favorite seat. She seated herself gracefully.

Yuzuru waited patiently for Shizue to address the topics in her own way and time. “I was extremely disappointed in Tonnere. She was supposed to be here to evaluate whether she would be a suitable match for Tamaki. Her attempt to take over the Otori business was in poor taste.”

“Why did you choose her as a potential match? Wouldn’t a Japanese girl from a good family be a better choice?” Yuzuru asked.

“It was about political ties and branching out globally. I will be having words with my researcher who declared her the best option,” Shizue allowed. “On another subject, Yoshio’s third son, Kyoya, was quite surprising. Not only did he realize what Tonnere was about, but he also bought the company before she could take advantage of the opportunity. That boy definitely has excellent business sense. Hopefully, Tamaki will learn some of his acumen. As much as I dislike their Host Club, it has been an interesting business venture.”

Yuzuru considered for a minute and then he asked, “What do you think of Haruhi?”

“The honor student girl who dresses as a boy?” Shizue asked for clarification.

“Yes, that’s the one. Wouldn’t she be a good match for Tamaki? She wants to be a lawyer like her mother. She’s even secured an internship with the firm where her mother used to work. The lawyer that interviewed her for the position was very impressed with her potential.”

“Hmm. I remember how she stood up to Yoshio. Yes, she might be just the right match for Tamaki.”

“When I have dinner with Tamaki tonight, I will suggest that he pursue her. They are both still young, but arrangements can be made for the future.” Yuzuru smiled at the thought of Haruhi as his daughter-in-law.

Shizue thought it over and responded, “Yes. That is an acceptable idea. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yoshio has designs on the girl for his son, so Tamaki should press his suit as soon as possible.”

Standing up, she continued, “I have another meeting soon, so I will take my leave.”

“It’s been good talking to you, mother,” Yuzuru said as he accompanied her to the door.

* * *

As the last guest left the Third Music Room, Tamaki called for everyone’s attention. “Before we begin our homework, Honey-sempai has an announcement he wants to make.”

Honey smiled brightly as he said, “Graduation is fast approaching for Takashi and me. We decided that we wanted to spend some leisure time together with our friends before things change after graduation. We hope everyone will be available this weekend and next weekend. This weekend would be spent at the Morinozuka compound and the next weekend at the Haninozuka estate.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Tamaki enthused. “Can everyone make it? How about you, Haruhi?”

“Actually, that will work out great. Dad will be in Kariuzawa both of those weekends helping Misuzu. He was worried about leaving me home alone,” she replied happily.

“Yea!” Honey shouted. “We will have so much fun together.” Mori’s mouth quirked in a small smile and the corners of his eyes crinkled, displaying his happiness.

* * *

“ _The first obligatory family dinner since the Ouran Fair,_ ” Kyoya contemplated, assessing his reflection and then adjusting his tie. “ _I wonder what humor Father will be in? Hopefully some of his displeasure over my purchase of the company will have abated by now. Far be it from me to expect him to be grateful that I kept it out of the hands of that conniving Tonnere.”_ Checking his watch, he found that he had just enough time to make it to the dining room without being late.

Pausing before opening the dining room door, Kyoya fixed his stoic mask firmly in place. “ _Hopefully, this won’t drag on for more than an hour. I have homework to finish before I check the markets and finish my investment research._ ”

Fuyumi greeted Kyoya at the door, as soon as he entered the dining room. “Kyoya, it’s so good to see you. How have things been going at school? And the Host Club?” she asked boisterously.

He suppressed his flinch as she said ‘Host Club’ and was thankful their father was not in the room, given how much a sore spot that was. “All is going well,” he responded. “ _I wish I could tell her--really tell her--about the Host Club, but this is not the time or place.”_

“We should get together for lunch sometime soon to talk,” Fuyumi pouted. “These family dinners are not the place to catch up.”

“I will check my calendar and let you know when I am available,” Kyoya replied. “ _I do need her to act as my agent again on those two property deals I’m about to close,_ ” he thought. “Where are the children?” he asked.

Fuyumi waved toward the door to the kitchen and said, “Seiji is settling Masaya and Hibiki at the table in the kitchen reserved for them.”

Kyoya paused. It never signaled good things when Father had a separate table arranged for the children. It normally meant he was on the warpath and cared only enough to take the children out of what would be a hostile environment. And probably only because children couldn’t be trusted not to speak of family matters at inopportune times.

“ _Wonderful,_ ” Kyoya thought sarcastically. “ _That means at least two hours, maybe even three, before I get out of here._ ”

Glancing around the dining room, Kyoya noticed that his brothers had already helped themselves to glasses of wine and were looking rather morose at the prospect of a long family dinner.

Yuuichi scowled at Kyoya as he entered but didn’t say a word. “ _I can’t believe that little brat upstaged me like that. Buying the company and then giving it back to Father.”_

Akito pointedly ignored Kyoya and headed to the sideboard to refill his wine glass. “ _Never has remembered his proper place as the third son,_ ” Akito grumbled internally, and glowering in Kyoya’s direction.

As the clock chimed the hour, the door of the dining room opened and Yoshio entered, escorting his wife. Yuuichi and Akito moved to the seats on either side of Yoshio’s seat at the head of the table. Fuyumi and Seiji stepped up beside the chairs on Yuuichi’s side of the table. That left Kyoya with the seat on Akito’s side of the table, next to his mother at the foot of the table.

After walking his wife to stand behind her seat at the foot of the table, Yoshio walked to the head of the table. “Akito, I would like Kyoya to sit next to me this evening.”

Akito, his face effused with red, stepped away from his chair and moved to the chair near his mother, glaring at Kyoya the whole time. Kyoya, suddenly feeling pale, reluctantly moved toward the chair next to his father. “This does not bode well, on many fronts,” Kyoya thought. _“Why do I get the distinct impression that he wants me within striking distance?”_

Yoshio sat and then motioned for the others to take their seats. Not a word was spoken as Yoshio gestured toward the kitchen, the waiting servants seeing the cue and bringing in the soup course. The butler quietly poured wine in everyone’s glass except Kyoya’s. His glass was filled with water and he gave an almost imperceptible nod of thanks. _“At least some things are normal tonight and I’ll have a clear head for homework and research later,”_ he silently sighed.

Yuuichi opened his mouth to ask about the change of seating and caught a warning glare from Yoshio. After that, no one dared make a sound. Dinner was a tense, silent affair that everyone was wishing would end soon as each course was served, and then removed in turn.

Finally, the final course was cleared away. Yoshio stood and declared, “You are all dismissed. Kyoya, I will see you in my office NOW.” After his declaration, he exited the dining room.

“ _This cannot be good,”_ Kyoya thought, watching his father’s retreating back.

Yuuichi and Akito stood up simultaneously and headed for the wine on the sideboard, both of their expressions maudlin.

Fuyumi and Seiji bade her mother ‘good night’ and headed for the kitchen to collect their Masaya and Hibiki. Fuyumi looked in Kyoya’s direction and nodded, as if to say, “Call me if you need anything and let me know when we can have lunch.”

Kyoya’s mother remained in her seat at the table, staring at her hands in her lap. Her distress was obvious, but so was the aura of ‘I need some time to myself.’

Kyoya rose and walked slowly down the table to his mother’s side. “Good night, mother,” he whispered, bowing slightly, both to not be overheard and to show respect.

She looked up and gave him an anxious smile. “Don’t keep your father waiting,” she whispered back.

* * *

Kyoya knocked firmly on the door of his father’s office. He clamped tight control on his emotions and expressions, anticipating that the meeting with his father would not be a pleasant experience. “ _At least dinner didn’t last for hours, like I was dreading,”_ he chuckled mirthlessly to himself.

“Come in.” The order in Yoshio’s voice was clear. Kyoya opened the door just enough to step in and closed it quietly behind himself. Walking to stand in front of his father’s desk, he bowed and said, “You wished to see me?”

Yoshio scowled at Kyoya from his large executive chair behind his massive desk, projecting the air of a feudal lord dealing with a lowly serf. “I have been examining your accounts. Care to explain why your balances are so low? You know what is expected of you.”

Kyoya replied, “I realize that my balances appear to be low, but I have substantial amounts in escrow for several business investments I am current negotiating. Following the purchase of the company, my investment capital is well below the expected minimum balance. I have calculated that it will take six weeks to return the balances to minimum, based on the expected returns from the investments being negotiated, and that is a conservative estimate.”

The bland look on Yoshio’s face didn’t change through Kyoya’s recital. “Care to explain this document that accompanied the ownership paperwork for the company?” He held up a single sheet that appeared to be an invoice.

“ _Here’s where things could get dicey,_ ” Kyoya thought. “Last year you provided me with an accounting of how much the Otori family had spent on raising me. I updated the accounting for the time since it was calculated and projected forward to my graduation from high school. I used that amount as a guideline for the amount I was willing to pay for the company.

“The invoice simply shows that the negotiated price for the company was slightly greater than the amount I anticipate the Otori family will expend on me by the time I graduate from high school. Simply stated, I have repaid the funds expended, or to be expended, on me by purchasing the company and returning it.”

As Kyoya spoke, Yoshio’s face grew darker and darker. Finally, he exploded, “You DARE to speak to me in this manner.” Swiftly, Yoshio stood from his chair and moved around the desk. Kyoya didn’t even anticipate the slap, much less the backhand that followed it.

Yoshi towered over Kyoya, who had fallen to his knees under the onslaught. “Yuuichi and Akito were right. You have forgotten your place. You are the third son. Your place is to do as you are told to advance the family. You have far too high an opinion of yourself.”

Grabbing Kyoya’s collar, Yoshio pulled him to his feet and struck him again, knocking off his glasses. “Get out of my sight. I don’t want to see you again until you have returned your balances to the expected minimums and you have learned your place.” Yoshio pushed him toward the door and Kyoya, losing his balance, fell hard.

Picking up his glasses and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he slid his stoic mask firmly back into place. “As you wish, Father.” With that, he left the office and closed the door quietly behind himself.

* * *

Yuzuru smiled at Tamaki across the table. “I’ve really enjoyed having dinner with you this evening.”

“It’s been great,” Tamaki replied. “I wish we could do it more often, but I know how busy you are.”

The silence that settled between them was not forced or awkward. It was a comfortable contemplation following lively dinner conversation.

“Oh, by the way,” Yuzuru started, gesturing wildly. “Your grandmother came to see me today. She wanted me to tell you that you acted appropriately towards Mlle. Tonnere. Her behavior was very disappointing, using your grandmother’s invitation as a means to try to buy the Otori company.”

“The Host Club deserves most of the credit. They realized there were problems, on more than one front, and intervened,” Tamaki replied.

Out of nowhere, Yuzuru asked, “What do you think of Haruhi?”

Tamaki blushed lightly, “She is very intelligent and caring. She can be fierce in protecting her family and friends. Why do you ask?”

Yuzuru cleared his throat and looked a little embarrassed. “Your grandmother suggested that she would be an acceptable marriage match for you.”

“Dad!” Tamaki whined. “She has plans to become a lawyer like her mother. Marriage is not on her mind right now.”

“Be that as it may, arrangements could be made now for consummation later. Just think about it.”

“Okay, I will.”

Looking at his watch, Yuzuru said, “Let’s get you home. It’s getting late and you have school tomorrow.”

“Thanks for dinner, Dad. Let’s do it again sometime soon.”

* * *

Kyoya locked his bedroom door. “ _Not that it will stop Father if he decides he wants to get in, but at least it will give me warning. Just over a year until I graduate from high school and then I can get out of here.”_

Turning on the bathroom light, he opened the bottom drawer of the vanity and pulled out a first aid kit. Kyoya looked in the mirror to assess the damage from his ‘meeting’ with his father. His nose had stopped bleeding, but the cut lip and bruises on his cheeks would take more time. Pulling out a cold pack and activating the chemicals, he thought, “ _Well, I’ll need to pull out the makeup kit in the morning. Even a cold pack will not clear all the bruises by then.”_

He cleaned up and headed to his desk to complete his homework. “ _At least my homework is almost done. By the time I finish, it will be time to check the markets. I’ll have to finish my market research tomorrow. There’s no way I can concentrate on research tonight.”_

After completing his tasks, Kyoya changed for bed quickly and efficiently. He activated a new cold pack--the chemical reaction for the first one had run it’s course. Placing the new cold pack on the cheek feeling the most tender, he lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. _“I don’t know if I can take this for another year. At least I’ve been able to surreptitiously move the majority of my funds to accounts Father doesn’t know about and can’t access. I had hoped the purchase of the company would mask the ‘disappearance’ of the other funds. At least he seemed to buy the escrow excuse.”_

Kyoya’s thoughts took a dark turn as he contemplated the next year and his father’s ‘displeasure.’ Rolling over onto his side and adjusting the position of the cold pack, he tried to find something more pleasant to think about.

His overwhelming maelstrom of emotions reminded Kyoya of THAT night at the Nekozawa beach house. Thoughts of Haruhi and the feelings she provoked invaded and he gradually relaxed. “ _She is perceptive, honest, and gentle, but fierce in defense of others. Her ability to see through my mask and accept me for who I am is amazing. And the way she stood up to my father—stunning.”_

Kyoya drifted off to sleep to dreams of a fierce brunette sprite with doe-brown eyes, gently stroking his forehead and running her fingers softly through his hair.

* * *

“What happened to you!?!?!” Hikaru demanded when he saw Kyoya walk into school the next morning. Kaoru spun around at his brother’s outburst and examined Kyoya’s face. Haruhi stepped closer and then pushed Kyoya gently down into a chair so she could get a closer look.

“My father was displeased with me,” Kyoya replied simply. “I had hoped that I had learned enough about makeup from the cosplays to cover the bruises adequately.”

Haruhi’s expression clouded over in anger. “I can’t believe he did that.” She gently ran her fingers over Kyoya’s cheek. Unconsciously, he leaded into her touch, savoring the coolness of her fingers.

“You did a pretty good job, but you need a little of the green concealer under the foundation to counteract the purple.” Kaoru pulled out his kit and put action to words.

“We’ll have to talk about this before Host Club…” Hikaru started to say.

“No, I can handle it. Thank you for the makeup tip. Now, let’s get to class.” Kyoya stood up and headed toward his first class.

Haruhi’s eyes followed him and the corners of her mouth tightened. _“It’s time,”_ she thought.


	4. Asking for Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruhi asks for help with her plan and gets a surprising response.

Haruhi walked out of her final class of the day deep in thought. _“I want to talk to Kyoya about my idea but I also want to be sure he is in the right frame of mind to hear me out. For that matter, I have to be sure I’m in the right frame of mind.”_

Automatically her feet brought her to the door of Third Music Room. _“I was so angry with Yoshio this morning. He slapped Kyoya in public during the Ouran Fair but I didn’t think he would stoop to beating his son like it appeared he did, if Kyoya’s bruises this morning are any indication. And no amount of makeup could disguise the split lip._ ”

Taking a deep breath before she opened the door, she thought, _“I know. I’ll ask him to look at my history paper. That should give me a starting point for asking for just the two of us to talk without the others butting in.”_

Kyoya sat at his usual table working on his laptop. He was doing his best to act normal, but he was seething. He had just checked the balances on his investment accounts and they were half what they had been the previous day. “ _Hmm, that explains why Father was in such a state last night, demanding that I get my account balances back up to minimum. Does he really think I haven’t noticed his ‘margin call’ withdrawals? I rarely purchase on margin. I prefer tangible property and businesses and voting stock in companies to mere stock market speculation.”_

Running his thumb over the split in his lip, he thought, “ _I can’t take this situation with Father much longer. Well, at least it has shown me that I no longer wish to become the Otori heir. Not that there’s much left but the Otori reputation, and what is left has taken a beating from Father’s poor financial decisions. I have no idea what my goal should be now, I just know what it won’t be. What will I…how can I….”_ His thoughts sputtered to a halt as his anger flared again.

Just then, Haruhi entered the room and asked tentatively, “Hey, Kyoya-sempai, would you proofread my history paper before club hours begin? It’s about the Great Wall of China and I want to be sure it makes sense.”

Shaking himself out of his caustic thoughts, he took the paper she handed him and replied levelly, “Of course.” As he started to read, he relaxed slightly and thought, _“I’m glad she’s comfortable enough with me to ask such a favor_.”

Haruhi tried not to fidget, watching his expressions—or lack thereof—as he read through it.

A few minutes later, he handed the paper back to Haruhi, smiled and said, “It’s very well written. I wouldn’t change a thing. You made some very interesting observations about walls and paths.”

“That’s because of you and your father,” Haruhi admitted. “My report made me think about the times you’ve mentioned feeling like you are following the path set out before you, especially by your father and brothers. Since the path is so narrow, it’s difficult to pass the three people ahead of you.”

Kyoya was intrigued with the direction Haruhi’s comments were taking. “That is an interesting observation. Such a narrow path does limit access to one’s goals if others are competing for the same goal and are ahead of you on the same path.”

Haruhi nodded and continued, “As I was studying the Great Wall, I thought about all of the walls in China. Most of them were build to protect the crop fields. The walls created paths between fields to get around without damaging the crops. The paths are narrow to allow as much growing space as possible, but the walls had to have a certain height to keep people and animals out of the crops as well as a thickness to keep them from collapsing on themselves.

“The problem is that the walls block the view of what else may be around, whether dangerous or beneficial. The narrowness of the path also inhibits the load a person can carry along the path. Most people just travel the path without giving any thought to the walls. However, there are those who realize that the tops of the walls can provide an additional path, one not as restrictive.”

When Haruhi paused for a moment, Kyoya inserted, “That is a very interesting idea. If the walls were a uniform distance apart, they could even become a cart track for moving the harvested crops.”

“Exactly,” Haruhi responded. “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to express my ideas properly. They made sense in my head but I wasn’t sure I could get my point across. Walls have the purpose of being a method of protection, whether by providing a place to hide or a vantage point to evaluate the situation.”

Kyoya conceded and added, “Walls are most useful when they connect to create barriers, platforms, or defenses. I used to think of my father and brothers as walls that I had to get around. After listening to your ideas, I realize that they are not walls, just obstacles. They are not willing to provide protection or a vantage point to see the bigger picture. They simply stand in the way, attempting to prevent me from attaining my goal.”

Haruhi smiled and placed her hand on Kyoya’s arm. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you need a different goal than being the Otori heir. You know, we in the Host Club are walls as we protect, defend, and support each other. I hope you will allow us to protect and support you as you take good look around.”

“What do you have in mind?” Kyoya questioned with interest, taken aback at the righteous vehemence in her tone. _“How could she know what I was just thinking? I can’t believe I am fortunate to have such a perceptive and wonderful young woman worried about me and my future. I wish—hope-- she could be part of that future.”_

“I hate to see you limiting yourself by your father’s expectations. Just like I told him at the Ouran Fair, you are amazing. Just because he wants you to go into medicine--and I know you would be an amazing doctor--that doesn’t mean that medicine is your passion.

“Kyoya, I think you would be better suited to business, especially hospitality management. All of your work with the Host Club, all the events, and that time at the resort, tells me that you would thrive on handling all the details and making sure everything goes off without a hitch--and within budget.

“Medicine has too many uncontrollable variables, it would stress you out or drive you crazy,” Haruhi explained passionately, gesturing wildly with both hands.

Unsure how to respond, Kyoya simply said, “It’s just about time for the Host Club to open its doors. I will consider what you’ve said.” Gesturing to the paper he had returned to her, he continued, “With the thought you’ve put into it, I expect you will get a very good grade on that paper.”

“Thank you, Kyoya,” Haruhi replied, patting his arm gently as she turned to head to the kitchen to begin preparing refreshments for the guests. She stopped and turned back. “Hey, Kyoya-sempai, could we talk again after Host Club hours are over? I have something else I would like to talk about.”

“I have nothing scheduled for this afternoon so I would be happy to continue our conversation,” he replied. “ _Maybe she’s finally going to explain about the law books and the internship. I hope so anyway.”_

“Thanks, I’ll get to work now,” Haruhi said, heading for the kitchen.

Watching her go, Kyoya pondered, “ _Haruhi made some excellent points about walls, narrow paths, and blocked views. The narrow view of my father and brothers is definitely how Tonnere was almost able to buy the company out from under the family. At least I recognized the threat and beat her to it._

_“Haruhi’s right. We in the Host Club are walls, connected to each other for support and defense. Knowing they will be here for me, I need to jump up on the wall and view the broader world around me. Who knows what opportunities I might find? I’ll just have to figure out a way to protect those opportunities from being co-opted by the family and squandered like the company was.”_

* * *

Tamaki watched Haruhi entertain her designates during his breaks between guests. “ _Father is right. She would naturally be very good match for marriage. It just seems strange to be thinking in those terms about my precious daughter.”_

Hikaru noticed that Tamaki was spending a lot of time watching Haruhi. “ _What’s he up to? He seems awfully interested in Haruhi today.”_

Kaoru noticed that his brother was distracted and their guests were beginning to get restless. “Hey, Hikaru,” he whispered as he poked his brother in the ribs, “you can tease Tamaki later. The ladies are waiting for our attention right now.”

“I apologize, ladies,” Hikaru answered smoothly. “I was distracted trying to pick up some pointers from our Prince-type to better fulfill your fantasies.” The girls squealed as he gazed into their eyes while holding Kaoru close to his side and ran his fingers through his brother’s hair.

Haruhi shook her head at the twins’ antics and turned her attention back to the ladies at her table. They were chatting amiably about their plans for the summer, including Kanako and Tohru’s wedding.

Honey happily chatted between bites of cake while Mori quietly looked on, their crowd of girls cooing ‘kawaii’ at how cute Honey was.

Kyoya watched everyone at their respective tables. _“I never realized how much I depend on the Host Club to be my anchor in the midst of the chaos that is my family. Maybe this is why Tamaki always refers to us a ‘family,’ because THIS is what family really should be.”_

Though he didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, Kyoya was distracted during hosting hours. He found his attention frequently pulled to Haruhi as she sat with her designates. _“I wonder what she wants to talk to me about. She’s chatting happily with the ladies, as if she doesn’t have a care in the world. Could I have missed the mark about something being wrong? But what about the law books and the internship?”_

* * *

As soon as club hours ended and all the guests had left, Tamaki approached Haruhi. “Could we talk?” he asked.

Haruhi looked at him, noting the slight frown on his face. “Sure, Tamaki-sempai. What do you want to talk about?”

Tamaki glance over at Kyoya who was making no move to leave. “I’d prefer to talk to you alone. Can you wait until after Kyoya leaves?”

“Actually, he is waiting for me. I asked for his help on some homework,” she responded. “If you want to talk privately, how about tomorrow during lunch?”

“Okay, then. Tomorrow during lunch. I’ll find a place where we can talk undisturbed,” Tamaki replied. Glancing between Haruhi and Kyoya, he scowled as he turned and left the room reluctantly.

Haruhi watched Tamaki leave, a frown creasing her brow. “ _I wonder what he wants to talk about? Oh well, I’ll find out tomorrow.”_ She shrugged, then turned and walked over to the table where Kyoya was waiting.

Kyoya had tensed when Tamaki approached Haruhi. _“What does he want with her?”_ Kyoya’s eyes followed her as they made arrangements to talk during lunch the next day and she bade Tamaki goodbye.

Shaking her head, Haruhi walked over to the table where Kyoya was working on his laptop. “Hey, Kyoya-sempai, do you mind if we sit on the sofa? It make take some time for me to explain and I’d rather be comfortable.”

Quirking an eyebrow, Kyoya shut his laptop and moved to sit on the sofa next to Haruhi. “This has nothing to do with homework, does it?” he inquired.

“No, it doesn’t,” she admitted. Taking a deep breath, she began, “I realized some things during the Ouran Fair.”

“Yes, Honey told us about your conversation with him,” Kyoya affirmed.

“Well, ever since the Ouran Fair, I’ve been working on an idea and I need your input—or maybe advice—or help,” she continued.

Intrigued, Kyoya asked, “Does this have anything to do with the books on family law and adoption? Or the internship?”

Haruhi’s eyebrows shot up. Then she chuckled. “Why am I even surprised that you know about the internship? You’d think by now I would know just how extensive your information network is.”

“So, how does family law, adoption, and an internship relate to the events of the Ouran Fair?” he prompted.

“I’ve made no secret of the fact I don’t like how your father treats you or how Tamaki’s grandmother treats him. I guess my imagination was working overtime after everything that happened. I’ve been having nightmares about you and Tamaki being disowned by your families. Even though I know you two are perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves, somehow I was terrified that we would be separated and I would never see either of you again.”

Kyoya looked at her with surprise. “ _She thinks enough of me—well, us—that our disappearance from her life actually distresses her.”_ To her, he said, “I had no idea you felt that strongly about us.”

“At first, I thought about asking Dad to adopt you, but I realized that wouldn’t work. Your families would probably be vindictive enough to cause problems for any adopting family. Then I realized that the best option would be to create a brand new family—no existing members to be collateral damage.”

Haruhi blushed a little as she continued, “After some research and consideration, I thought the name ‘Hinan’ would work for the constructed family. It means refuge or shelter. The kanji makes me think of a house with a person next to lamppost and a hedge. It has such an inviting look. A refuge is exactly the reason I want to create this family—to be a refuge for any of us that needs it.” She handed him a piece of paper. “Here is what it looks like.”

避難

Kyoya smiled, “I like the name and the kanji. It’s very well thought out. Simply, yet strong.”

Haruhi stood up and started to pace in front of the sofa. She gestured to the cabinet where she kept the law books she had been studying. “The books were great at explaining the applicable case law for family formation and adoption, but they don’t included anything practical, like what forms need to be files, in what order, and who has to file them.

“That’s why I got the internship at the law firm where my mom used to work. Her colleague, Mr. Naruse contacted my dad about whether I would be interested in an internship. I realized that it would be the perfect way to pay for the practical legal advice I needed, so he agreed to provide it in exchange for my work at the office.”

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. “That’s very resourceful of you. What sort of help do you need from me?”

She stopped her pacing and faced him. “There are two areas where I think you can be the most help for me on this project. The first one is identifying responsible adults to act as agents for the family. What do you think about asking your sister, Fuyumi, and your bodyguard, Tachibana?”

He considered her suggestions briefly. “They are both very good choices. I will speak to them. Why not your father?”

Haruhi sat back down on the sofa and her shoulders tensed. “He will be one of the agents, too. Most of the documents require two signatures. I figured it would be a good idea to have three agents, just in case one was unavailable in an emergency.” Haruhi looked at Kyoya and she couldn’t continue. 

She was overwhelmed with the vague but oppressive memories of the days following her mom’s death. The confusion that mom would never be coming home again. All the people at the funeral expressing their condolences. Then there was the loneliness. All the time she spent alone as her dad worked to make ends meets with random day labor jobs. Shopping, cooking, cleaning—always alone.

Kyoya looked at Haruhi’s face and saw the storm of emotions. “Is there a problem with your father?”

Haruhi shook her head. She took a deep breath and looked away. “After meeting with Mr. Naruse, I started thinking about my mom. And then it hit me that I could be all alone if anything happened to Dad.” Her shoulders hunched and she wrapped her arms around herself.

Slipping his arm gently around her shoulders, Kyoya surmised, “So you want three agents in place, just in case something happens to your father and you need to become part of the new family as well?”

She looked at him with a watery smile. “Thank you for understanding, sempai.”

After a brief side hug, he removed his arm. Wanting to distract her from the painful memories and speculation, he prompted, “You said there were two things you needed my help with?”

“Yeah,” Haruhi responded. “The other thing is finances. I’ve taken care of the legal expenses with my internship, but the family will need some way to support itself. You have the best business acumen of anyone I know. Maybe the Hinan family could, for a small fee, act as trustee for any investments you want to keep separate from Otori holdings?”

Suddenly Kyoya grabbed her and kissed her soundly. She pushed him away, startled at his actions. The look of chagrin on his face was clear as he explained, “You just handed me the perfect solution to a dilemma that has been plaguing me since before the Ouran Fair. I’ve been trying to find a way to hide my investments and financial dealings from my father so he can’t squander them, like he did the company.”

“Oh,” was all Haruhi could think to say in response, as she touched her fingertips to her lips. At first she looked puzzled, then she brightened. “So we have a mutually beneficial situation here. You need a ‘shelter’ for your investments and the Hinan family needs a revenue stream that could come from acting as trustee.”

“Exactly,” Kyoya responded. “This comes at the perfect time. I am just about to conclude negotiations on a property that I am purchasing for substantially below market value. It will be released from receivership tomorrow, following the verdict of the trial for embezzlement and fraud by the owners and managers. The court has set the minimum price based on the remaining payment claims from vendors. I plan to place a bid right away. The sale should close rather quickly, I have not heard of any other interested parties because of the scandal.”

“What kind of property is it?” Haruhi asked.

“It was supposed to be an executive resort. The week before it was scheduled to open, the embezzlement was discovered when the caterer demanded a substantial deposit on the requested menu for the opening ceremony. There is a main house, a dozen guest cottages, a pool house, gardens, and a variety of outbuildings, including a dojo.” Kyoya remarked, “It would actually be a perfect fit for the Host Club.”

Haruhi chuckled, “Too bad the Hinan family can’t afford it. I hadn’t thought about having a physical place for people to live once they were adopted into the family. Thank you for helping me figure out that there are more aspects I need to work out.”

Kyoya looked thoughtful. “Maybe it could be my contribution to the Hinan family. Yours is the legal expenses. I’m sure the others will want to contribute once they hear about it.”

Haruhi asked, “Hey, Kyoya, you’re right. I’m sure that they will all want to be involved. They may have ideas about other questions and issues we need to consider. When should we tell everyone else about the Hinan family?”

Kyoya was inordinately pleased that she was thinking of them as ‘we.’ Out loud, he said, “This weekend at the Morinozuka Compound would be the perfect time. There will be plenty of time to discuss it and examine the broader implications. I can even make arrangements for us to visit the property on Sunday afternoon.”

Smiling, Haruhi responded, “That would be great. I’ll pull together some notes about what I know and a list of questions that will need to be answered for the adoption paperwork.”

The chiming of the clock reminded them that it was getting late. “Please allow me to give you a ride home. It’s getting late,” Kyoya offered.

Haruhi looked around the room, noticing how dim the light was. “Thank you, that would be great. Just let me make sure that everything is in order and ready for tomorrow.” She walked around the room straightening a pillow here and repositioning a chair there.

Nodding in satisfaction, she returned to Kyoya. “I’m ready.”

* * *

The ride was extremely quiet as the Kyoya and Haruhi were lost in their own thoughts.

Haruhi couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. “ _Did he mean anything by it? Or was it just an impulsive reaction?”_ she pondered. “ _It seems so out of character for him to act spontaneously like that._ ”

Kyoya scrolled through the messages on his phone but he really didn’t register what any of them said. “ _Why did I do that? Why did I kiss Haruhi? I know I’ve wanted to, but now she must despise me even more than when I manipulated her with the debt.”_

He shifted uncomfortably. “ _Besides, Tamaki is interested in her and he is my best friend. I would never hurt him by taking Haruhi from him. And then there’s Honey-sempai, who she may have an interest in.”_

Kyoya’s expression darkened slightly as he ran his thumb across the split in his lip. “ _I’m a fool to have ever entertained the notion that she could have romantic feelings for me or want to be part of my future. She deserves so much better than me.”_

Looking out the window, Haruhi’s thoughts and feelings swirled like a maelstrom. “ _Despite the way he used to harass me about the debt, I really do like Kyoya. I guess I’ve felt that way since that day we spent together at the mall. Could the kiss mean he has feelings for me as well? Or am I just imagining things? Even though I’m not interested in a romantic relationship right now, Kyoya would be worth considering for the future.”_

The silence in the car was almost oppressive and Haruhi finally had enough. Just before they reached her apartment complex, she turned to Kyoya and laid a hand on his arm to get his attention.

Lost so deep in his own thoughts, Kyoya was startled by the gentle touch on his arm. He put down his phone and looked at Haruhi questioningly.

“Sempai, I need to know. Did that kiss mean anything?”

He looked away briefly, swallowed, and then turned back. “Someone like me doesn’t deserve someone as wonderful as you. I should not have kissed you tonight, especially not without your permission. I was just so excited about your idea that I wasn’t thinking, just acting on impulse.”

Kyoya looked out the window, trying to pull together the shreds of his dignity. “ _Well, now I’ve done it.”_

Haruhi stared quietly at her hands, contemplating Kyoya’s words and her own feelings. 

Gathering her resolved, she stated, “Why do I have to keep trying to convince you that you’re amazing? You are, and you deserve wonderful things. But you didn’t answer my question. Did that kiss mean anything?”

Kyoya placed his hand over hers and looked into her eyes. “I do have feelings for you. I’ve never acted on them because Tamaki is my best friend and I know he has feelings for you. And then I saw you with Honey-sempai the other day before Host Club began. I know that it is ultimately your decision about who you want to be with.”

When the car stopped in front of her apartment complex, Haruhi made no move to get out immediately. “Thank you for telling me, Kyoya. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Acting quickly, she kissed him on the corner of his mouth opposite the split, slipped out the car door, and was half way to her apartment before Kyoya realized what happened.


	5. Brainstorming at Mori's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Host Club is brought in on the plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/4/20 for typos.

Haruhi was just about to leave for school when her there was a *ding* from her phone indicating a text message from Tamaki. She opened it and it said

*****Father wants me to have lunch with him so we can’t meet then. Ride with me to Mori’s and we can talk in the car.*****

_“Oh, I forgot that Tamaki wanted to talk to me today_ ,” Haruhi hummed to herself. She texted back

*****Okay. See you later.*****

* * *

Hikaru and Kaoru were standing at the school entrance, waiting for Haruhi. “I hope she gets here soon,” Hikaru said. “I want to be sure she rides with us to Mori-sempai’s. We just have to ask her before anyone else can.”

“There she is,” Kaoru announced, pointing to Haruhi walking quickly toward them.

“Hey, Haruhi,” Hikaru called. “You going to ride to Mori-sempai’s with us today?”

Haruhi responded, “Sorry, Hikaru, I can’t. Tamaki wants to talk to me so I’m riding with him.”

“Wait, when did he even ask you?” Kaoru asked.

“Well, he wanted to talk to me yesterday after Host Club but I already made arrangements for Kyoya to help me with something. We were supposed to meet during lunch today, but his dad insisted that they have lunch together. He texted me this morning to arrange our talk during the ride to Mori-sempai’s,” she explained.

Hikaru scowled. “When can we talk to you? You have been so busy lately, we never seem to spend any time together anymore.”

Haruhi chuckled. “Yeah, we never see one another. There are just classes every day and then Host Club, as well as all the unscheduled outings. Sure, we never see one another,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Snorting, Hikaru replied, “You know what I mean.”

“Of course I know what you mean,” she conceded. “That’s just not what you said.”

“Maybe we can talk after we get to Mori-sempai’s? We should be able to find a few minutes this weekend,” Kaoru interjected.

“That’s an idea. How about after homework? Or after dinner?” Haruhi proposed.

“I guess that will work,” Hikaru allowed.

Glancing over his shoulder at the front of the classroom, Kaoru interrupted, “We’d better get settled. The teacher just walked in and she’s scowling at us…again.”

* * *

“Kyo-chan, Takashi and I will be leaving a little early to be sure everything is ready when everyone else gets there,” Honey informed the Host Club vice president fifteen minutes before Host Club hours were to end.

“That would be prudent,” Kyoya allowed. “The rest of us will follow as soon as the guests have left and the room is cleaned up.”

“Okay,” Honey chirped. He waved to Mori and they left together.

_“Well, the twins will be leaving as soon as the ladies are gone. I’m surprised how well Hikaru has been able to hide his seething because Haruhi is riding with Tamaki,” Kyoya thought. “Though, I can’t blame him, I feel exactly the same way. I just wish Tamaki wasn’t gloating about the fact she is riding with him. He was absolutely insufferable between classes today.”_

Ten minutes later, Kyoya announced, “Thank you, ladies, for spending your afternoon with us. We look forward to seeing you again next week.” He smiled demurely to each of them as they left the third music room, some still giggling, whether about the twins’ act or something Tamaki said, Kyoya wasn’t sure.

As soon as the door closed behind the ladies, Hikaru and Kaoru bolted to the cabinet where they kept their satchels. “We’ll see you guys at Mori-sempai’s in a little bit,” announced Kaoru, cutting off Hikaru before he could make any snide comments. _“He’s still too upset about Haruhi riding with Tamaki to say anything civil to anyone now that the façade isn’t necessary around the guests.”_

“Don’t take too long cleaning up, Haruhi,” Kyoya stated as he gathered his laptop and satchel to leave.

“I won’t,” Haruhi replied. “At least the twins weren’t harassing Tamaki and making a big mess. It should only take a few minutes to collect and wash the tea sets.”

“Well, we’ll see you all there soon,” Tamaki interjected.

Kyoya only nodded in response to Tamaki as he closed the door behind him. _“If there were only some way that I could convince her to ride with me instead of him. I suspect that he is going to confess to her during the ride. I hope what I told her last night won’t push her toward accepting his confession just because I’ve been holding back.”_

Back in the Third Music Room, Tamaki was pacing in front of the door. After five minutes, he called out, “Hey, Haruhi. Are you done yet?”

From the kitchen, she replied, “Just putting the last teacup away now. Grab our things and I’ll be right there.”

Tamaki was distracted as he and Haruhi walked to his limousine for the ride to the Morinozuka Compound. He was busy imaging how the conversation with Haruhi would go.

 _After they were settled into the back of the limousine, Tamaki took Haruhi’s hand in his own and said, “Grandmother and_ _F_ _ather_ _approve of you to be my girlfriend, and eventually my wife. Haruhi, dear, will you be mine forever?”_ _She looked him with dewy, adoring eyes. “Oh, Tamaki, nothing would make me happier!” Then he kissed her hand_ _and pulled her gently into an embrace. Haruhi blushed prettily and giggle softly. “We will have a wonderful life together,” Tamaki said._

Haruhi’s voice pulled Tamaki abruptly from his mind theater when she asked bluntly, “So, what did you want to talk about, sempai?”

As he reached for her hand, she scooted to the far side of the seat. Tamaki looked hurt, but decided to proceed as he had imagined. “Grandmother and Father approve of you…”

“I’m not entirely sure I approve of them, especially your grandmother and how she treats you,” Haruhi interrupted.

Tamaki tried to continue, “They approve of you as my girlfriend…”

“What do you mean, girlfriend?” Haruhi blurted out. “You constantly refer to me as your ‘precious daughter,’ even though I keep telling you not to.”

“ _This is not going the way I planned at all_ ,” Tamaki thought ruefully. He tried again. “I know that our relationship has not been romantic, but Grandmother and Father explained to me that it would be beneficial to our futures to be established as a couple now, before anyone else tries to interfere.”

“Wait a minute,” Haruhi said, holding up her hand. “You’ve never asked me and I’ve never agreed to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise, as a couple. Just because that’s the way it happened in your imagination, does NOT mean that’s how life will really go.”

“But…” Tamaki interjected.

“Sempai, you know I want to become a lawyer. Right now I have no interest in a romantic relationship. It will probably be years before I’m ready to think about something like that.”

Tamaki started to open his mouth to protest further, but Haruhi glared at him. He pouted for a few minutes and then he sighed in acceptance. “Okay, that’s what I’ll tell Grandmother and Father when they ask about our relationship.”

“Thank you, sempai. We’re both still young so there’s plenty of time to worry about a relationship in the future.”

There was an uncomfortable silence between them for a few minutes. _“I need to figure out how to distract him so he doesn’t dwell on his disappointment and start trying to grow mushrooms here in the car,_ ” Haruhi thought.

It only took a minutes before she decided on a course of action. “Hey, sempai, would you tell me about your childhood in France? You mentioned once that you spent most of your time trying to keep your mother smiling. What was school like? Did you have any friends?”

Tamaki brightened. “Oh, I haven’t thought about France since I moved to Japan because Grandmother seems to disapprove of everything French. I didn’t really have time for friends, but there were these two kids that I hung out with at school. We were all targets of the school bully because all three of us had one parent who was not French.”

“Tell me about them,” Haruhi prompted.

“Chloe was the school bully. She always got away with things because her father was the mayor of Paris. Marinette and Nino stuck up for me. Chloe called us all foreigners and insisted that we ‘go home.’ Marinette’s dad was a top-notch baker from a traditional French family and her mother was Chinese. Nino’s mom was French but his dad was Moroccan.

“Marinette declared that we belonged together, not because we were half-French, but because we were French-plus. She always tried to be sure that everyone was happy. I guess that’s where I learned some of it.” Tamaki grinned at the memory.

“She was tiny, but fierce, as well as kind, brilliant, and creative. Everyone was drawn to her, except Chloe, of course. Nino had a relaxed attitude and loved music. He always had his headphones, escaping into the music if Chloe got to be too much.”

Haruhi commented, “They sound like really good friends. It seems like Marinette made quite an impression on you.”

Chuckling, he continued, “We never did anything outside of school because I was so concerned about my mother, but we were practically inseparable at school.”

“Do you still keep in touch?” Haruhi asked.

Tamaki shook his head sadly, “I hadn’t thought about them since coming to Japan. Grandmother insisted that I could have no contact with anyone in France, so I guess I forgot about them as a defense mechanism.”

Haruhi smiled. “I’m glad you have such good friends growing up.” Then her expression turned dark. “I just wish your grandmother hadn’t given you such an ultimatum. It wasn’t fair to you—or your friends.”

“C’est la vie,” Tamaki replied, shrugging. “At least I’ve been able to make such good friends here.”

“I hope we will remain friends, even though I am not interested in a romantic relationship with anyone right now,” Haruhi said hopefully.

“But, of course,” Tamaki responded. “As you said, we have plenty of time for that. But for now, we have arrived,” he finished as the car stopped in front of the main house at the Morinozuka Compound.

Looking out the window, Haruhi saw the rest of the Host Club waiting for them.

After Tamaki and Haruhi climbed out of the car, Honey grinned at everyone and announced, “I will be acting as emcee for the weekend, at Takashi’s insistence.”

“Hn,” Mori affirmed.

“First, we will be headed to the library to complete our homework. That way we can just have fun all weekend and not worry about school until Monday,” Honey continued.

Mori led them down several corridors to a set of ornate double doors. He pushed one open and gestured for the others to enter. It was a large room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining three sides. The fourth side was composed completely of windows, allowing in plenty of natural light. Scattered around the room were several furniture groupings; some around tables, some in conversation circles, and even one facing a fireplace.

Kyoya chose the table in darkest corner, hoping to minimize the glare on his computer screen. Tamaki followed him, asking, “Hey, Kyoya, would you confirm that I have all the homework on my list. I keep feeling like I forgot something.”

“Let me see,” Kyoya responded, reaching for the list in Tamaki’s hand.

Meanwhile, Honey and Mori settled into the armchairs near the fireplace. It was a warm day, so no fire was laid in the grate. The chair and ottoman placements made it obvious that this was their usual place in the library. The two seniors settled in with their books, reading intently.

The twins followed Haruhi to the large table directly under the windows. She pulled out a notebook and started checking things off a list.

“Hey, Haruhi, would you check over my homework to see if I missed anything?” Kaoru asked.

“Sure,” she replied. Taking the packet of paper he offered, she flipped through them slowly. “It looks like everything is here, except the worksheets we were given today in math. Oh, and you may want to read through your science essay. I only glanced at it, but you may want to break down that extremely long sentence in the third paragraph. It gets a little confusing near the end.”

“Thanks, Haruhi,” he said as he took back the papers. Then he started to dig through his satchel, looking for the missing worksheets.

Hikaru smirked, “Would you do the same for me?”

“Sure,” Haruhi responded, ignoring the taunting in his expression and tone.

Hikaru just grinned at his brother and they moved their chairs closer to Haruhi from either side.

Glancing first at Hikaru and then Kaoru, she said, “If you two are going to sit that close, don’t be surprised if you get elbowed or a book shoved into your papers. I need space to work on my homework.”

Exchanging a look, the twins moved their chairs away slightly, giving her a little more room, though not much. “Thanks,” Haruhi muttered as she turned her attention to her homework.

The next hour was filled with shuffling papers and quiet murmurs. Finally, Haruhi heaved a sigh and smiled. “Done,” she said quietly to herself. Then she started packing her books and papers back into her satchel.

Hikaru and Kaoru finished their math worksheets and packed their books and papers away as well. “Now that homework is done, can we talk?” Hikaru asked.

“Okay. Can we just talk quietly here? I’d rather not get lost looking for someplace else to talk,” Haruhi replied.

He glanced over at Kyoya and Tamaki in one corner and then Honey and Mori by the fireplace. “I guess here is fine,” he murmured. “What did Tamaki want to talk to you about?”

Haruhi chuckled, “His grandmother and father seem to think that I would be a good girlfriend—and eventually wife—for Tamaki. I told him that I am focused on becoming a lawyer right now and don’t have time for a romantic relationship.”

“Oh,” was Hikaru’s only reply.

Kaoru interjected, “You don’t have romantic feelings for him?”

“No, I don’t,” Haruhi confirmed. “I guess that’s why I’ve never recognized when boys confessed to me, I’m just too focused on becoming a lawyer. Romance just seems to be a nuisance.” Placing one hand on Hikaru’s shoulder and the other on Kaoru’s, she continued, “Until you guys, I didn’t really have that many close friends. So, thanks, guys.”

Takashi quietly inserted a bookmark at his place and closed his book. Setting it on the table between his and Mitsukuni’s chairs, he reached over and tapped his shoulder. Mitsukuni looked up and nodded in response. Placing a marker in his own book, he set it on top of Takashi’s.

“It’s almost time for dinner,” Mitsukuni announced. Once he had everyone’s attention, he continued, “Takashi’s parents request that we join them for a traditional formal dinner this evening. Afterwards, they will be leaving to attend Satoshi and Yasuchika’s tournament this weekend. We should put our school bags in our rooms and wash up. You will each find a formal hakama for you to wear dinner this evening.”

* * *

Haruhi finished dressing in the lovely hakama the Morinozukas provided for her. She nervously opened the door to her room, hoping she could find her way to the dining room without getting too lost. She startled when she saw Takashi waiting for her. “Mori-sempai, do you need something?”

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “Would you allow me to escort you?”

Her eyebrows knit in confusion. Then her forehead smoothed as comprehension dawned. “You came to escort me to the dining room. Thank you. I was little worried about getting lost.”

A few minutes later, they arrived in the dining room where his parents and the rest of the host club were waiting for them. Everyone turned to look at them as the door opened to admit them.

Mrs. Morinozuka stepped forward. “Now that we are all here, I would like to begin our evening together with the traditional tea ceremony. Haruhi, would you please assist me?”

Intrigued, Haruhi watched as Mrs. Morinozuka slowly, deliberately, and methodically performed the formal tea ceremony. She had never had the opportunity to watch someone so well versed in art. After the preparations were complete, Mrs. Morinozuka said, “Haruhi, if you would please serve the men, beginning with the oldest.”

Inspired by the deliberate movements and attention to detail displayed by Takashi’s mother, Haruhi felt challenged to perform her portion of the ceremony with the same precision. Mindfully, she accepted each cup of tea from Mrs. Morinozuka and walked in the traditional slow mincing steps to its intended recipient. The first cup was presented to Mr. Morinozuka with Haruhi first ceremonially turning the handle to position it correctly for him to grasp it and smoothly take a sip.

After Mr. Morinozuka took the obligatory sip, he nodded. This was Haruhi’s signal to return to Mrs. Morinozuka for the next cup of tea. She repeated the process, presenting tea to Mitsukuni, Takashi, Tamaki, Kyoya, Hikaru, and Kaoru. Then she presented a cup to Mrs. Morinozuka and finally took a cup for herself. With a nod and a lift of the corner of her mouth, Mrs. Morinozuka expressed her approval of Haruhi’s performance.

Once everyone had finished their tea and returned their cups to the tea tray, Mr. Morinozuka signaled that it was time for dinner. He escorted his wife to her seat at the foot of the table before taking his place at the head. “Takashi, you will sit here at my right. Mitsukuni, you will sit at your aunt’s right and Haruhi will sit at her left. Kyoya, please sit here at my left and Tamaki, you sit next to him. Hikaru, please sit next to Takashi. Kaoru, you sit between your brother and Haruhi.”

After arranging everyone to his satisfaction, he signaled for the servants to serve dinner. The first course was miso soup, followed by cucumber salad. The main entrée was grilled mackerel, accompanied by rice and a thick meat and vegetable stew.

It was a quiet dinner, with minimal talking. Other than requests to pass around dishes, most of the talk about school, graduation, and summer plans. “You must all come to Takashi and Mitsukuni’s party following the graduation ceremony,“ Mrs. Morinozuka announced quietly as servants began clearing the table.

Mr. Morinozuka stood and declared, “We will be leaving now. After the tournament, we have a series of meetings to attend in Hong Kong. We will be returning on Wednesday.”

The Host Club all stood and bowed respectfully as Mr. and Mrs. Morinozuka left the room. The subtle tension in the room relaxed as Mitsukuni declared, “Let’s get our swimsuits on and go lounge around the pool.” There were murmurs of ascent from the other hosts.

* * *

Haruhi looked around at the boys sitting around the pool. Hikaru and Kaoru were flicking water at Tamaki, just to get a reaction out of him. Surprisingly, Kyoya did not have a notebook or his laptop with him as he relaxed in a lounge chair. Takashi and Mitsukuni were poking around in a storage building, pulling out chairs, balls, and other pool-related items.

“ _Now may be a good time to bring up my idea about the Hinan family_ ,” Haruhi considered. _“I’ll ask Kyoya what he thinks._ ”

Approaching Kyoya, she said quietly. “Sempai, may I ask your advice?”

The expression on his face caught her off-guard. He was relaxed and smiling softly at her question. “If you are going to ask if now is a good time to tell everyone else about your plan, the answer is ‘yes’.”

Haruhi playfully swatted at his arm. “How is it you keep reading my mind? That’s exactly what I wanted to ask.”

Tamaki and the twins paused in their horseplay as they noticed Haruhi approach Kyoya. All three frowned at the interplay between the cool host and the natural. “ _What’s up between those two?”_ Kaoru was thinking. _“What’s mommy talking to daughter—Haruhi about?_ ” Tamaki wondered. “ _Who does he think he is?”_ Hikaru fumed.

Haruhi took a couple steps toward the storage building so all of the other hosts could hear her easily. She said, “I know you guys have been wondering about the law books I’ve been pouring over lately and how distracted I’ve been.”

Takashi and Mitsukuni hurriedly sat down in a couple of chairs they had pulled out of storage, watching Haruhi intently.

Speaking rapidly, she revealed the news of her internship. Then she started outlining her idea of establishing a new family registry just as she had explained it to Kyoya when she asked for his help.

When she paused, Kyoya spoke up. “I think there is a lot of merit to Haruhi’s idea, and not just because it provides me with a secure trustee for my investments.” He chuckled as he thought about the connotations of ‘merit.’

“In fact, I believe in the idea enough that I am contributing a property to be used as the family estate, Hinansho, which means 'Place of Refuge' quite appropriately,” he continued.

Haruhi resumed her explanation. “Kyoya made me realize that there are probably a lot of aspects I haven’t thought about and he suggested asking all of you for input. I need your ideas because I want the Hinan family to be available to all of us in an emergency.” She started to tense up as she remember the impetus for creating the family, the implications for herself as well as Tamaki and Kyoya.

Looking down at her clenched fists, she said, “I have to admit that I’ve had a lot of nightmares since the Ouran Fair.”

“Were they because of your fall from the carriage?” Tamaki asked, worriedly.

Haruhi snorted. “Actually, no. My nightmares have been about different ways I’ve lost contact with you guys, like Kyoya and Tamaki being disowned and disappearing or something happening to my dad and my being sent away.”

The twins stepped up to either side of Haruhi and each draped an arm over her shoulder hugging her gently. “Don’t worry. We won’t let that happen.”

Relaxing, Haruhi chuckled. ”Yeah, I should have known I couldn’t get rid of you that easily.” She reached up and wiped her hand across her face, trying to hide her tears.

Seeing her discomfort, Kyoya stood up and drew everyone’s attention. “This weekend, we should give some thought to other aspects that the family will need. To that end, I am making arrangements for a tour of the property on Sunday afternoon. But for now, let’s have some fun.” With that, Kyoya pushed Tamaki into the pool.

* * *

In spite of how late they had stayed up watching movies, Haruhi woke up early. She paced restlessly in her room. She was feeling anxious and having second thoughts about the idea of the Hinan family. _“Does it really make sense? Am I just seeing problems where there really are none? Do the guys think I’m being controlling?_ ”

Hearing a noise in the hallway, she opened her door a crack to see what was going on. “ _Why are Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai up so early?_ ” she wondered.

Mitsukuni and Takashi, both dressed in gi, walking quietly down the hall. Hearing a door open, Takashi turned and looked at Haruhi. Noting her puzzled expression, he murmured, “Workout. Want to come?”

Looking down at her t-shirt and sweats, she shrugged and replied, “Sure.”

They walked to the dojo in comfortable silence, enjoying the crisp morning air. Takashi stepped to the windward side of Haruhi, blocking the worst of the wind from chilling her. She smiled up and him and nodded her thanks.

As the guys began their usual morning workout in the middle of the mat, Haruhi tried to follow along off to one side. Takashi smiled at her encouragingly. After fifteen minutes, she was sweaty and exhausted. Mitsukuni said, “That’s really good for the first time, Haruhi. Takashi and I are about half done now.”

Haruhi sat down to catch her breath as she watched them complete their routines. Mitsukuni walked over and settled down next to Haruhi while Takashi walked over to the wall rack and took down a shinai.

“Takashi will need another half hour to complete his kendo routine,” Mitsukuni explained.

“That’s fine, Honey-sempai,” Haruhi replied. “Thank you for letting me tag along this morning. I really enjoyed the workout. I know I’ve avoided PE classes at school, but I hate the way people judge me because I’m not very good.”

“I’m glad you came. If you want me to, I can teach you the basic forms so you can do it at your own pace when you have time.”

She considered his offer for a moment. “I think I would like that, Honey-sempai.”

“Okay,” he replied. Then his brows knit and he frowned slightly. “Um, Haruhi? Would you consider calling me Mitsukuni instead of Honey-sempai? At least outside of school.”

Shrugging, she said, “If that’s what you want, I’d be happy to…Mitsukuni.”

He smiled broadly. “Thank you. With graduation approaching, my parents have been insisting that I need to act more mature. I figured I would start by asking my friends to call me by my name, rather than a nickname.”

“I understand. As long as you don’t think I’m being disrespectful at school if I call you ‘Mitsukuni’ and forget the ‘sempai’.” Hearing a soft whistling sound, Haruhi turned to watch Takashi with the shinai.

Mitsukuni sighed. “It’s really getting to be a struggle between being strong enough to be myself and being obedient enough to meet my parents’ expectations. I understand that I need to practice self-control, but sometimes it feels like they have an idea of what they want me to be that is totally different from who I am.”

Haruhi laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes parents have an idea of what they dream you’ll become and that dream doesn’t fit how we see ourselves. It’s hard to balance their expectations against your true self.” She chuckled. “Just look at my dad and me. I wear simple no-nonsense clothes, but when the Host Club travels somewhere, he re-packs my bags with frilly, feminine clothes.”

“But you look so cute in those clothes,” Mitsukuni interrupted.

Shaking her head, she responded, “That may be so, but I’m not always comfortable in dresses and ruffles.”

“I guess I see your point,” he replied. “Just as you can still be true to yourself in the clothes you don’t like, I can still be true to myself without the sweets and the cute act.”

Smiling, she bumped his shoulder with her. “See, more mature already.”

They looked up as they heard Takashi replacing the shinai in the rack and they saw him nod in satisfaction.

“Let’s go shower and dress so we can have breakfast,” Mitsukuni said, jumping up and holding his hand out to help Haruhi up as well.

“Hey, Mori-sempai, you were pretty impressive with the shinai,” Haruhi stated.

“Takashi,” he replied, flatly.

At first Haruhi thought she had offended him, then the light dawned. “Oh, I understand. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of using your first name…Takashi.”

His brow quirked and the corner of his mouth rose slightly. “Hn.”

She laughed. “Takashi, you were pretty impressive with the shinai. No wonder you’ve been national champion.”

The trio arrived at Haruhi’s door first. “We’ll be back in fifteen minutes to escort you to the dining room,” Mitsukuni said.

“Thanks, guys. I’ll see you then,” she replied as she closed her door.

Hurriedly, she showered and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Just as she finished tying her shoes, there was a soft knock on her door. She jumped up and headed for the door. Opening it, she found Takashi and Mitsukuni waiting for her. “Right on time,” she said, smiling.

Together, they walked down to the dining room. Even though it was only seven o’clock, they found the rest of the hosts waiting for them, including Kyoya.

“You’re up early, Kyoya,” Haruhi teased.

“I had a very relaxing night so I feel fully rested,” he returned.

Tamaki bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Takashi walked over to the sideboard where food had already been laid out and gestured for everyone to help themselves. After they each filled a plate, they settled at the dining room table.

After the initial silence while they were eating, Hikaru spoke up, “So, what are we doing today?”

There was general chaos as Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru all suggested activities for the day. The next hour was spent discussing the various possibilities for the day before they headed off to enjoy the activities they chose.

* * *

Sunday morning during breakfast, there was a *ding* heard by everyone. Kyoya pulled out his phone and checked the text message he had just received.

“It’s all been arranged. We are expected at the property at 1:00. That gives us plenty of time for the street fair that Tamaki wanted to see this morning, since it is in the same direction as the property. We can either find food at the fair or stop somewhere on the way.”

“Yeah!” Tamaki cheered.

Kyoya continued, “We’ll also have time on the way home to go someplace nice for dinner. There’s a superb sushi restaurant where I can make reservations.”

Haruhi’s face lit up at the thought of fancy tuna. The corner of Takashi’s mouth quirked upward knowingly at Haruhi’s expression.

“And we’ll still have time for the treasure hunt tonight before it gets too dark to find the clues,” Mitsukuni interjected.

* * *

As the limousine turned into the entrance to the property, Horita looked over at Tachibana. “ _The kids really wore him out at the street fair,_ ” Horita mused. Tachibana’s elbow rested on the window ledge and his head was resting precariously on his fist.

Horita stopped the car in front of the main house where Miss Fuyumi was waiting. He chuckled as he glanced in the rearview mirror. Jostling Tachibana’s shoulder to get his attention, Horita grinned and jerked his thumb toward the back seat.

Tachibana turned around and saw that all seven of their passengers were asleep. Kyoya’s head was resting on Haruhi’s and she was curled into his side. Mitsukuni’s head was in Haruhi’s lap and his feet were resting on Takashi’s lap. Takashi was slumped down slightly with his head resting on the back of the seat, cocked in Haruhi’s direction.

It was harder to see Tamaki and the twins because they were seated in the rear-facing seat closer to the driver. However, Tachibana could tell that Tamaki was sandwiched between the twins, who had their arms wrapped around Tamaki, practically nuzzling into his neck from either side.

 _“It’s good to see Master Kyoya so relaxed_ ,” Tachibana thought. _“He looks so comfortable leaning against Haruhi with her snuggled into his side. I almost hate to wake them._ ” Before getting out of the car, he pulled out his phone and took a picture of the four in the far back seat. He climbed out of the car and gestured for Fuyumi to join him at the back door of the limousine. He showed her the picture on his phone before he opened the door.

“You have to send me a copy of that,” she whispered insistently. “He looks so cute like that. She’s been good for him, almost as much as Tamaki.”

“I know,” he responded. Opening the car door quietly, he nudged Kyoya’s shoulder gently.

Kyoya opened his eyes a slit and glared at Tachibana. He was about to growl, “Leave me alone,” when he realized he was not at home in bed. Slowly he looked around the back of the car, taking in the sleeping forms of his fellow hosts.

When his eyes fell on Haruhi nestled against him, he smiled softly. Placing a tender kiss on her hair, he whispered, “Haruhi, we’ve arrived. It’s time to wake up.”

She startled and sat up, her head narrowly missing Kyoya’s chin. Haruhi blinked, looked around, and then smiled. “Well, I guess the fun we had at the street fair wore us all out.”

Schooling his expression of fondness, Kyoya said, “I will go talk to Fuyumi while you wake the other, and you better start with Honey-sempai. Tamaki will have a meltdown if he sees this.” He gestured to the young man whose head was snuggled in Haruhi’s lap.

“Oh, most definitely,” Haruhi replied, grinning mischievously.

After Kyoya climbed out of the car, Haruhi ran her fingers through Mitsukuni’s hair and whispered, “It’s time to get up.” He just whimpered and pressed closer to her.

Remember that Mitsukuni, like Kyoya, was difficult to wake up without incurring his wrath, she bent down and tenderly kissed him on the temple. “Mitsukuni, we’re here,” she said, shaking him gently, but to no avail.

Bemused, she decided it might be easier to wake Takashi and have him carry Mitsukuni out of the car. Running her hand softly up and down his arm, Haruhi said, “Takashi, wake up. We’re here.”

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times, as if to clear sleep from them. Looking at Haruhi, he smiled fondly and sleepily. Haruhi blushed slightly at the tenderness in his gaze. Then he looked down and saw Mitsukuni’s position in her lap. The corners of his eyes crinkled as his smile broadened.

Then Takashi looked across to the other seat and his smile became a grin. Haruhi followed his gaze and had to stifle her laughter. At first glance, it appeared that Tamaki had stepped into the middle of one of the twins’ brotherly love acts.

“The twins look like bookends with Tamaki the only book on the shelf,” Haruhi whispered, still trying to suppress her amusement.

“Hn,” Takashi responded, chuckling quietly.

“Takashi, you take Mitsukuni and join Kyoya. I’ll wake those three.” Smirking, she pulled out her phone after Takashi gently removed Mitsukuni from her lap. Positioning it to record the boys when she woke them up, she thought, “ _This should be good and I don’t want to miss any of it.”_

Haruhi nudged Tamaki’s foot with her own. He just grunted and shifted position. His shifting cause the twins to tighten their hold. Hikaru waved a hand vaguely and murmured, “Just five more minutes, Mom.”

At the sound of Hikaru’s voice, Tamaki’s eyes snapped open and he looked to his left and right, clearly confused by his position between the twins.

Tamaki yelled, “What are you two devils doing?” He tried to get up but the twins hugged his tighter and nuzzled his neck. “Let me go,” Tamaki shrieked as he struggled to escape the clutches of Hikaru and Kaoru.

Kaoru’s eyes opened and he realized that it was not Hikaru that he was clutching, but Tamaki. “Tono, I always knew you were a pervert. How did you get into bed between me and Hikaru?”

“He’s just satisfying his curiosity,” Hikaru purred. “Haven’t you seen how he watches us during our brotherly love act at Host Club?”

Struggling to break away, Tamaki sputtered incomprehensibly. Hikaru and Kaoru continued to chuckle indecently as they stroked his chest and arms.

“Alright, break it up, you three,” Haruhi ordered, putting away her phone before they could notice they were being recorded. “We’re here to see the property, not engage in depraved behavior.”

Tamaki let out an incensed “Well, I never” as he finally fought free of the twins and bolted out of the car. The twins followed more sedately, pausing at the door to each offer Haruhi a hand as she climbed out of the car.

“Over here,” Fuyumi whooped, waving her hand wildly in the air.

Haruhi suppressed a snicker as she noticed Kyoya rolling his eyes, standing just out of Fuyumi’s line of sight.

“You guys have got to see this place. It’s fabulous!” she gushed. “The whole of the property is just under fifty acres with a variety of venues and amenities, including a small man-made lake. It was designed for executive retreats and exclusive conferences.”

Turning around, she placed her hands on her hips. “This is the main house. The lobby has high ceilings and discretely placed elevators. There are three wings and each wing has three floors. The north wing, directly in back, is for the support staff and it consists of thirty-six apartments, twelve per floor. The garage is directly north of the staff wing and there are an additional twenty-four apartments.”

Fuyumi gestured to her left. “The first floor of the east wing has the fitness center and sixteen deluxe rooms. The second floor consists of twelve executive suites.”

She turned and gestured to her right. “The first floor of the west wing has the lounge, the restaurant, and eight deluxe rooms. The second floor consists of an additional twelve executive suites.”

Throwing her arms out wide, Fuyumi continued, “The third floor of both the east and west wings is continuous and consists of ten executive apartments. That floor can only be reached by the executive elevator with a special key.”

The hosts were starting to get a bit restless listening to Fuyumi. The only one who was not starting to fidget was Mitsukuni, who stilled looked sleepy as Takashi continued to carry him. Haruhi chuckled. “Fuyumi, you sound like a real estate agent trying hard to make a sale while hiding some major flaw.”

Fuyumi blushed. “Sorry, I guess I got carried away. It really is a beautiful place. On one hand, it’s too bad about the whole embezzlement/fraud thing that kept it from opening. On the other hand, the scandal created a substantial discount on the purchase price, which was very good for us.”

Kyoya attempted to interrupt her, but she pressed on, ignoring him. “In addition to the main house, there are twelve cottages, each with four bedrooms. Six of those are to the west of the main house, near the formal gardens, the gazebo, and the sakura grove.” She gestured off to her right again as she described the areas.

“The other six cottages are to the east, near the koi pond, the meditation garden, and the tournament-sized dojo.”

“A dojo?!?” Mitsukuni inquired, now fully awake and intrigued. “Can we go see it?” Takashi set Mitsukuni on his feet before he lost his grip on his exuberant cousin.

Smirking at the senior’s change in attitude, Kyoya was finally able to interrupt Fuyumi’s ‘sales pitch.’ “Let’s go look it over. Fuyumi, you can tell us about the different features as we pass them.”

The group followed Fuyumi as she led them around the east end of the main house. “On the way to the dojo, we will be passing the koi pond and meditative garden. They were purposely placed in proximity to the dojo to provide quiet places of contemplation between bouts or lessons.”

By the time she had finished her explanation, they reached the dojo. Mitsukuni and Takashi stepped in and stopped just inside the door. Takashi quirked an eyebrow and nodded in approval. Mitsukuni expressed his impression much more vocally. “Wow! This is incredible. Look, they even have the sliding walls to divide the space to allow multiple uses at the same time. This is great!”

Everyone grinned at the martial artists’ reactions, both silent and boisterous.

“Come on,” Fuyumi piped up. “There’s so much more to see.”

Next she led them westward, behind the main house, across a well-manicured lawn and past a man-made lake.

Looking around at the open space, Tamaki commented, “This would be a great place to hold picnics, events, or fairs. I can just imagine…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Hikaru teased. “You’re always imagining things.”

“Maybe you should see a doctor about that,” Kaoru finished.

Everyone laughed as Tamaki sputtered at the twins. “You twin devils! I’ll get you!”

Fuyumi spoke up. “Okay, here is the west side of the property. The gazebo would be ideal for small concerts or plays.”

“Hey, Hikaru,” Kaoru shouted, “wouldn’t this be ideal for a photo shoot? Just look at the possibilities. From one angle you would have the lake. From another, the formal gardens.”

“Wow,” Hikaru responded. “You’re right, it would be.”

Kyoya cleared this throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “We need to leave soon to make our dinner reservation. If you all agree that this would be a good home for the Hinan family, I will have Fuyumi start the purchase process.”

The group cheered. Fuyumi declared, “That sounds unanimous. I will get right on it. Have a good dinner and I’ll see you soon.”

The hosts hurried to the waiting limousine and climbed in.

“Haruhi sits next to me this time,” Tamaki insisted. “I don’t want to be stuck between those two again.” He glared at Hikaru and Kaoru.

Kyoya rolled his eyes. “Fine. The twins can sit over here with me. Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai can sit over there with you and Haruhi.”

Everyone settled in and chatted happily about different aspects of the property. All except Haruhi, who sat quietly, thinking, “ _Am I doing the right thing? Is that the right property? Will the Hinan family be able to afford to maintain it?_ ”

Kyoya noticed the expression of deep thought on Haruhi’s face. “Haruhi, is there something wrong? Don’t you like it?”

All of the other hosts looked at her expectantly. “It’s a great property, with some many good features. I guess I’m just worried about what it will take to maintain it. Will the investment custodial fees paid by Kyoya be enough to cover the expenses? It just hit me that I don’t have an adequate knowledge of estate management, finance, and investments to even make a guess.”

“I don’t know much in those areas myself,” Tamaki inserted. “We should do some research this week and talk about it in more depth next weekend when we’re at Honey-sempai’s.”

“A very sound idea,” Kyoya said. “We each know a little about how a household is run. Haruhi, you may know more than you realize. Come with a list of areas that you think will need to be addressed. Make note of any that are particular interest to you.”

Mitsukuni looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“For instance, your list may include the gardens, the dojo, kitchen staff, security, and transportation. In your case, your particular interest may be the kitchen staff. You could include notes on what staffing is needed, how that area could fit with or overlap another area,” Kyoya clarified.

Everyone turned to look as Takashi spoke up. “You mean, like having security officers who are also well-versed in gardening to patrol the grounds discretely?”

Kyoya looked impressed. “Exactly. That is an excellent idea.”

Everyone was startled when the door opened and Tachibana announced, “We have arrived.”

Mitsukuni hopped out first and announced, “Yeah! Time for dinner…and cake!”

The others laughed as they followed him into the restaurant.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pieces start to fall into place.

Haruhi approached the receptionist’s desk, much less tense than the first time she was here. “Good evening, Miss Nagano.”

“Good evening, Haruhi,” she replied, smiling. “I see you survived your first day of your internship and came back for more punishment.”

“I don’t consider this punishment.” Haruhi laughed. “I’ve actually learned a lot already. Thank you for your help yesterday. What is on the agenda for tonight?”

Miss Nagano pulled a file folder from the first draw of her desk. “Here. Mr. Naruse would like you to type up this brief. You may not be able to finish it tonight, but don’t worry about that. Just take your time.” 

Haruhi took the file and headed for the file room where the computer had been set up for her use. Tucking her satchel into the corner out of the way, she settled at the computer and opened the file Miss Nagano had given her.

Pulling up the brief template, she began to type in the brief. Haruhi paused when she came to the name of the plaintiff. “ _Komitsuzawa? Why does that name sound familiar? Maybe I’ll think of it later,”_ Haruhi pondered as she typed.

When she reached the body of the brief, it dawned on her why the name was familiar. The case involved libelous statements printed by a newspaper owned by the Komitsuzawa family. Those statements claimed that the Shibasaki’s restaurant was using low-grade beef and advertising it on the menu as kobe beef. The false information had caused a substantial decline in business for the restaurant. The Shibasaki family had certificates of authenticity for their beef and they were demanding a retraction of the false information and reimbursement for one month of lost revenue.

 _“The Newspaper Club at Ouran is run by Akira Komitsuzawa. This must be his family’s newspaper and, apparently, he came by his sensationalistic, underhanded tactics to increase readership naturally. I think I need to talk to Mr. Naruse about this case, knowing what I know,_ ” Haruhi thought.

Locking the computer, Haruhi left the file room and approached the receptionist’s desk. Miss Nagano looked up and asked, “Is there a problem with the brief?”

“Maybe,” Haruhi responded. “Is Mr. Naruse available?”

“Let me check.” Picking up the phone, she dialed a number and waited for an answer. “Mr. Naruse, Miss Fujioka would like to speak to you regarding the brief that she is typing up for you.” After a pause, she continued, “Very well. I will send her right in.”

Turning to Haruhi, she said. “He has ten minutes available. Go right in.”

“Thank you,” Haruhi replied as she headed for the attorney’s office door. In response to her knock, she heard, “Please, come in.”

Mr. Naruse rose and gestured for Haruhi to take a seat in the chair in front of his desk. “What seems to be the problem? Is there something you don’t understand about the brief?”

“Are you or the Shibasaki family aware of the reputation of the Komitsuzawa family?” Haruhi asked.

Pondering for a moment, Mr. Naruse said, “I’m not sure I understand your question.”

“I noticed in the brief that the Shibasaki family’s demands are almost inconsequential compared to the extent of the harm caused by the Komitsuzawa’s newspaper libelous article. This was no misinformation or misunderstanding. Most likely, the article was a sensationalist ploy to increase circulation,” Haruhi stated.

“What evidence do you have?”

“The Komitsuzawa heir, Akira, attends Ouran High School. Several months ago, the Newspaper Club, headed by Akira, was going to be shut down because the circulation was down to four. Those four being the members of the Newspaper Club.

“Akira decided that the best way to save his club was to publish an expose about the most popular club, the Host Club. He approached Tamaki Suoh, the president of the Host Club, proposing a tasteful issue, ‘A Day in the Host club’ that appealed to Tamaki’s ego. Akira promised it would be a symbol that his club was shifting from gossip and scandals to human-interest features and real news.

“Tamaki was very trusting, but the other members of the Host Club were much more suspicious of the Newspaper Club, given their experience with Akira and his family’s newspaper in the past. In the end, Akira tried to publish an expose on Tamaki, but it was stopped before it went to production.”

Mr. Naruse took several minutes to consider the information that Haruhi had presented to him. “So, what you’re telling me is that the Komitsuzawas have a reputation for questionable ethics?”

“That has been my experience and that of my friends. If you would like, I could do some research online to gather documentation.”

“No. I think I’ll do that research myself. I assume you had a reason to see me other than pointing out the culpability of the Komitsuzawa family.”

“Actually, I came in to suggest that the Shibasaki family’s demands are barely a slap-on-the-wrist for the Komitsuzawa family. A more fitting settlement would be a front-page retraction, written by you and unedited, as well as a full year’s revenue. That might—mind you, might—be enough to make them think twice about doing something like this in the future. Most likely in the past they have either been sued for small damages--such as your client is requesting, settled out of court, or the affected party has been too embarrassed to take legal action.”

“Hmmm, I’ll take that under advisement. You will make a formidable lawyer in the future, given your inclination to get the best possible outcome for your client while also sending the very clear message, ‘This behavior will not be tolerated.’ I look forward to seeing you shake up the status quo.”

Haruhi stood up. “I should get back to work. I’ll highlight the settlement section for future edits.”

Before she reached the door, Mr. Naruse called, “Wait a moment, I just remembered. I wanted to tell you that the paperwork to establish the Hinan family is ready for signatures. As soon as you can get the three agents here to sign them, I will file them.”

Turning, she replied, “That’s great. Kyoya is going to pick me up tonight, so Tachibana will be with him. I will text Kyoya to bring Fuyumi and Dad as well, if possible.” Matching actions to words, she pulls out her phone and composes a quick text.

* * *

At eight-thirty, Kyoya arrived with Tachibana, Fuyumi, and Ryoji. Fuyumi took charge as soon as they stepped through the door.

“Good evening,” she said, addressing the receptionist. “Fuyumi Otori-Shido, Ryoji Fujioka, and Seizaburo Tachibana to see Ryo Naruse.”

“Yes, he is expecting you,” Miss Nagano replied. “Please follow me.”

Kyoya remained in the reception area as Miss Nagano led the others to an office in the back. _“Things are progressing well in Haruhi’s plan, I see. The timing couldn’t be better, since the offer on the property is scheduled to be accepted Thursday. With the signatures tonight and the filing tomorrow, everything will be in place for the Hinan family to finalize the purchase.”_ He smiled to himself as her plans and his neatly dovetailed together.

Haruhi walked into the reception area from the file room, oblivious of Kyoya as she examined the documents in the file she was holding. She involuntarily jumped when he cleared his throat.

“Warn a person, would you sempai?” she squawked.

“What the fun in that?” he returned, chuckling teasingly.

She rolled her eyes. “I take it they’re all in signing papers right now?” Before Kyoya could answer, Haruhi turned to look at Mr. Naruse’s office door as Miss Nagano came out.

Miss Nagano responded, “They will be out in just a few minutes. How did the brief go?”

“Well, it’s all typed up. As I told Mr. Naruse, the settlement section is highlighted pending edits.” Haruhi handed her the folder.

“I take it that is what you spoke to him about earlier?” Miss Nagano replied, slipping the folder into her desk draw.

Haruhi grinned broadly, “I suggested he look into some facts about the plaintiffs and suggested a much…stiffer penalty for their actions.”

Kyoya just stood back and watched the two women talk. _“Haruhi is impressive. She’s standing there speaking to the firm’s receptionist like she were already one of the lawyers, rather than a lowly intern—and one on her second day at that.”_

Out of the corner of her eye, Haruhi saw Kyoya watching her. _“I can’t read the expression on his face from this angle. I wonder what he’s thinking.”_

Just as Miss Nagano shut down her computer for the night, the door to Mr. Naruse’s office opened. He exited first, followed by Fuyumi, Ryoji, and then Tachibana. He shook each of their hands as they exited his office. “Thank you so much for making time in your busy schedules to come this evening. The paperwork will be filed tomorrow, as soon as the courts open.”

Fuyumi gushed, “Thank you for preparing everything so quickly. It’s a relief to know that all of the pieces are in place in the event something were to happen.”

“It was good to see you again, Ryo,” Ryoji said, shaking the lawyer’s hand firmly. “It’s been too long. We should get together for lunch sometime.”

“I’d like that,” Ryo responded. “Let me check my calendar and I’ll give you a call.”

Tachibana just shook the offered hand silently and bowed his head slightly in respect, all the while his eyes checking the room and examining Kyoya for any signs of distress.

Haruhi looked around. “Well, it looks like we’re all ready to go. I’ll see you on Thursday, Miss Nagano.”

“Have a good evening,” she called back as she gathered her purse and coat to leave.

* * *

Haruhi was sitting on her usual sofa with several designates happily chattering about their summer vacation plans. “ _Kanako is unusually quiet today. Usually she’s talking excitedly about her wedding this summer. Is something wrong between her and Tohru? Maybe I can talk to her alone before she leaves today,”_ she thought.

Kimiko turned to Kanako and asked, “Hey, Kanako, what’s wrong? You’ve been really quiet the past few days. And you haven’t talked about the wedding at all. Did something happen between you and Tohru?”

Haruhi had to control herself not to roll her eyes at Kimiko’s blunt question. “ _Well, so much for talking to her alone._ ” To Kanako, she said, “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to. If you want to talk in private after Host Club hours, I’m available.”

Kanako waved it off. “Oh, it’s nothing like that. Tohru and I are very excited about the wedding and starting our life together.” She sighed and then continued, “The problem is the venue. We booked it two years ago. We had to because the gardens are so popular for all kinds of events. I received a call on Monday that the gardens will be unavailable for the next six months. 

“Apparently, a soccer team that rented the venue for an awards ceremony did a lot of damage. It will take at least three months to repair the damage and another three to allow the plants to grow out so they look decent again. Where are we going to find a new venue on such short notice?”

An idea popped into Haruhi’s head and she glanced over at Kyoya working on his laptop. _“I don’t want to get her hopes up, but I think the Hinan family might be able to help her out.”_

The other girls were expressing their sympathies to Kanako when Haruhi said, “I may know of a venue that would be available for your wedding. How about I check into it and get back to you on Monday?”

Kanako’s mouth formed a perfect “O” as she leaned over and pulled Haruhi into a hug. The other girls squealed at the sight, drawing attention from around the room. Haruhi blushed as Kanako exclaimed, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Pulling back to disentangle herself from Kanako, Haruhi said, “Mind you, I can’t make any promises. But I will try my best so you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

* * *

During lunch, Kyoya tried to suppress his annoyance. “ _Why hasn’t Fuyumi texted me yet? Surely, the purchase of the property isn’t taking this long to finalize. The fraud and embezzlement case wrapped up last week so there shouldn’t be any complications.”_ He pushed his plate of half-eaten lunch away.

Tamaki looked up from his lunch to his best friend. He could tell that Kyoya was tense about something, but he didn’t dare ask. Experience had made Tamaki wary, because trying to “cheer him up” usually resulted in Kyoya unleashing his caustic wit.

Mitsukuni sat down next to Tamaki and Takashi took the seat across from him, next to Kyoya. Mitsukuni whispered to Tamaki, “He hasn’t heard anything about the property yet, huh?”

“Oh,” Tamaki exclaimed loudly, and then clapped his hands over his mouth. After re-gaining control, he whispered back, “I forgot that was today. Now I understand.” The table lapsed into silence as each contemplated their own thoughts.

Haruhi sat down on the other side of Kyoya and pulled out her bento. “Hey guys. How was your morning?” she asked cheerily.

Brightening at the presence of the Club natural, Tamaki piped up. “It’s been good. Classes are mostly just review for exams next week.”

“Not much going on for us,” Mitsukuni added. “We just have paperwork to fill out for the graduation ceremony next week.” Takashi nodded in agreement at his summation.

Haruhi was startled to hear what sounded like a growl coming from Kyoya. She turned to look at him and noticed the tightness in his jaw and the stiff way he held his shoulders. “No word from Fuyumi yet, I take it?” she asked.

Kyoya’s only response was a curt shake of his head. He tensed but then unconsciously leaned toward Haruhi as she draped her arm over his shoulders. “ _What is she doing? How will the others react—especially Tamaki and Mitsukuni?”_ he thought frantically while still relishing her touch.

“Hey, hey, hey, what going on?” Hikaru demanded as he and Kaoru approached the table with their lunches. They jostled one another as both tried to sit in the seat next to Haruhi.

Glaring at them, Haruhi chastised, “No fighting or neither of you gets to sit by me. I told you in the classroom, it’s Hikaru’s turn to sit next to me. Kaoru, you sit across from me.”

Kaoru was about to protest when she eyed him as if to say, “Try me.” He subsided and took the seat next to Tamaki, across the table from her.

During the exchange, Haruhi’s arm remained wrapped around Kyoya’s shoulders. The other five boys exchanged glances but no one was willing to say anything. They were all thinking the same thing, “ _I wish it was me.”_

Haruhi turned her attention back to Kyoya. “Hey, don’t worry. It’s probably just taking a little longer than expected because the Hinan family is new and the property was part of a scandal. They probably have to double-check everything, making it take longer.”

She gave him a side hug and then released him. “Let’s eat,” she said, focusing on her bento.

* * *

During Host Club, Haruhi watched Kyoya out of the corner of her eye. To everyone else, he appeared to be simply working on his laptop as usual. However, she could tell by his ramrod-straight back that he was tense.

Kanako was not there but Kimiko and Momoko were gushing about the graduation parties their parents were planning for them. Kimiko took over the discussion. “You should see the gown my mother commissioned for my graduation party. It’s from the top Paris designer. Have any of you heard of Gabriel?”

Not to be outdone, Momoko responded, “I’ve heard of him. But my dress is being designed by Audrey of New York, the Queen of Fashion.”

Haruhi just smiled and let her designates debate which designer was best. She was distracted by the low *ding* of a text message notification on Kyoya’s phone. 

Movement in the corner of her eye drew her attention to Kyoya. He was examining a message on his phone with a look of relief and triumph. _“I wonder if he just received a text from Fuyumi?”_ she thought.

Kyoya’s face lit up with a smile briefly, schooling it back to his usual stoic expression before anyone noticed or commented. “ _I wonder why her text message mentions a follow-up email?”_

Pulling up his email service, he opened the new message from his sister, ignoring all the previous ones that he suspected contained cute memes or funny anecdotes.

**Sorry it took so long to finalize the sale. The judge had A LOT of questions about the Hinan family. He checked the family registry and found no one listed. He suspected a scam (given the scandal surrounding the property, I’m not surprised), so he grilled me about it. I pointed out the establishment date was yesterday. Then I explained that the intended members of the family had not filed their registry paperwork yet, but none of them has any connection to the men convicted of the fraud and embezzlement. When he pressed me for names, I stated that I was not at liberty to disclose that information at this time. I reiterated that the Hinan family is a valid legal entity and I am a duly registered agent for that entity. He had no course but to capitulate.**

Kyoya’s posture relaxed as he read the email. “Fuyumi really was the best choice for the agent on this. She knows how to handle difficult men, considering how much practice Father gave her.” He responded with a brief message.

 **Thank you for your hard work on this. I owe you dinner. Let me know when and where**.

Glancing at his watch, he noted that it was nearly the end of club hours. He shut down his computer and then stood. “Ladies, thank you for joining us today. We will be closed tomorrow as Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai have a graduation meeting and robe fitting. We look forward to seeing you all on Monday. Please enjoy your weekend. Good night.”

* * *

The Host Club climbed into the Haninozuka limousine, looking forward to their weekend of fun together. Haruhi purposely sat next to Kyoya. Just after the car pulled away from Ouran, she spoke up. “Hey, Kyoya. I was wondering.”

“Yes?” he prompted.

“Kanako and Tohru need a venue for their wedding. The one they had arranged is no longer available due to damage caused by another event. Could they rent the Hinansho garden for it?” she asked hopefully.

Kyoya looked puzzled. “I don’t see why not. But why are you asking me? It belongs to the Hinan family.”

“I know, but you are the one who orchestrated the purchase and you know the most about business,” she replied.

For a moment, Kyoya contemplated Haruhi’s statement. Finally he responded, “That may very well be true but the Hinan family was your idea. You have just as much say in matters as I do. In fact, since you created it for the Host Club, we should probably all have a say in such matters. Even though no one is officially on the Hinan Family Registry, we are all a part of it.”

Haruhi’s mouth was a perfect “O.” She chuckled nervously and said, “I guess you’re right. Since that’s the case, what do you guys think?”

The other hosts looked at one another. Finally, Takashi spoke. “I think it’s a fine idea. I was going to ask if we could submit the Hinan dojo to the Kendo Tournament Committee as an alternative location for the qualifying tournament scheduled to be held in Chiba. Flooding in that area has damaged the roads and access is tricky, at best.”

In unison, Hikaru and Kaoru interjected, “After we described the place to our parents, they wanted us to ask about doing a photoshoot for their new line there.”

Haruhi slapped her forehead and looked sheepish. “Here I was worrying last week about being able to afford maintaining Hinansho. The answer is so obvious; I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner.”

Everyone looked at her questioningly.

It dawned on Kyoya just what she meant. “Oh, I see. We can rent Hinansho, or at least parts of it, our as a venue for events. If we employ a minimal permanent staff and use temporary workers as needed for events, we would only need to allow select events to generate adequate funds to maintain the property and pay for staffing.”

“That makes so much sense,” Tamaki agreed. “We just need an event coordinator to vet the requests before we vote on which ones to allow.”

“How about Renge?” Hikaru piped up.

“ **NO!!!”** everyone responded, some louder than others.

Holding up his hands defensively, he said, “Just kidding. Please don’t kill me.”

“Hey, Kyoya, do you think Fuyumi might be interested in being our event coordinator? She could easily work from home so she’d be there with her children. She’s very enthusiastic about the property and she’s already an agent for the Hinan family so she can initiate the contracts,” Haruhi suggested.

“That would be an excellent idea. Let me text her,” Kyoya replied, pulling out his phone. Just as he pushed SEND, the car stopped in front of the Haninozuka home.

* * *

The next morning, Hikaru was uncharacteristically subdued at breakfast. He listlessly pushed his food around on his plate and supported his chin on his left palm.

Mitsukuni looked worried and asked, “Is something wrong, Hikaru? Are you not having fun this weekend?”

Shaking his head, Hikaru responded, “It’s not that. Mom texted this morning that she wants Kaoru and I to do a test shoot at Hinansho so she has an idea of what is available. I don’t want to miss any time with you guys, but it looks like we’ll have to. She wants the photos by Monday morning.”

“I’d hate for you guys to have to leave and miss our last weekend before graduation,” Mitsukuni pouted.

Haruhi chimed in, “Why don’t we all go to Hinansho? We haven’t scheduled anything else, have we?”

Mitsukuni perked up, “Hey, that’s true. In fact, Takashi and I were talking about getting pictures taken for a graduation photobook. Kyoya, don’t you think the girls would love that?”

Kyoya looked up from his laptop where he had been typing steadily all through breakfast. “I think that would be an excellent idea. In fact, several girls approached me about the possibility of just such a photobook. I’ve been working all morning on finding a photographer, but having no luck because all the good ones are booked up months in advance.”

“Wait,” Tamaki interjected. “We could also do photo books for the rest of the hosts. And maybe some cosplay-themed books. We wouldn’t have to release them all at once, just the graduation ones for right now. But we would have them already printed and available to sell periodically during the year.”

“That’s actually a very sensible suggestion,” Kyoya allowed.

“Hikaru, how long would it take to get the photography equipment and cosplay outfits to Hinansho?” Haruhi asked. She actually looked excited about the prospect of dressing up and taking pictures. “We could make it a fun day of playing in costumes, just having fun together while also getting the needed photos and exploring the estate.”

Kaoru piped in, “I already sent a text to the maids to start packing stuff up to send over. It should arrive there about the same time we do, if we leave within the hour.”

“We’d better get going soon,” Kyoya stated. “Currently we don’t have a caretaker or housekeeper to greet them.”

“Hey, that’s true,” Tamaki responded. “That reminds me of something I wanted to talk to everyone about, but it can wait until the car ride.”

“Does everyone have everything they need?” Haruhi asked, looking around for confirming nods.

Takashi was frowning and Mitsukuni looked pensive. “We would like to wear nice suits for our graduation photos but we haven’t purchased them yet.”

Kaoru interrupted, “Not to worry. Hikaru and I designed suits for you and Mori-sempai as graduation gifts. They will be among the clothing being sent over. We even had a couple cap and gown ensembles in Ouran colors included. You may want to bring your gi and shinai to round out the photo collection.”

“We should all bring our uniforms as well so we can get a Host Club picture,” Mitsukuni added. “Meet out front in fifteen minutes?”

“Sounds good,” Tamaki said.

As Kaoru was about to walk out the door, he felt a large hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Takashi and asked, “Is something wrong, Mori-sempai?”

“No, I just wanted to thank you for the suit and including karate and kendo in the photobook. Most of the time people tend to see me as a one-dimensional, background character. Thank you for including some of my depth.” Having made his speech, Takashi nodded to Kaoru and left to collect what he needed for the day.

Kaoru stood there in shock for a minute.

“Didn’t know he had a speech like that in him, did you?” Haruhi teased, bumping his shoulder with hers.

“I have to admit I expected the thanks but not the explanation,” Kaoru said. “I’m sorry that I was one of those who thought of him as a boring background character. But that started to change after you stumbled into our lives, Haruhi. There’s just something about you that has made all of our lives better.”

Haruhi blushed at Kaoru’s praise but she didn’t know how to respond. Luckily, she didn’t have to because Tamaki burst into the room. “I saw that you guys were busy talking, so I asked the maid to pack up your uniforms. As soon as the others get here, we can head to the car,” he explained, thrusting a garment bag at each of them.

“Thanks, Tono,” Kaoru replied, taking the offered bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Yeah, thanks, Tamaki,” Haruhi added, smiling.

The trio turned to see the other Host Club members enter the room, also carrying garment bags. Takashi had an equipment bag in addition to his garment bag and a small smile on his face.

“Let’s go,” Mitsukuni shouted, gesturing to the front door.

The group piled into the limousine while the chauffeur secured their bags. “Hey, Hikaru,” Haruhi called. “Is your day looking up?”

At first, he looked at her in confusion. Then he remembered his morose mood at breakfast. “Yes, it is most definitely looking up.”

After they settled in and the car pulled away from the house, Kyoya said, “Tamaki, you said you wanted to talk about something on the way over.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Tamaki replied. “The talk of needing a caretaker or housekeeper reminded me that I wanted to ask if Shima could be hired as the head housekeeper at Hinansho.”

“Why don’t you want her at the second Suoh mansion anymore?” Kyoya asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“It’s not that I don’t want her. Grandmother ‘retired’ her after she gave you the information to stop me from leaving. Even though now Grandmother agrees your stopping me was the right thing to do, she refuses to re-hire Shima.”

Kyoya’s expression darkened at hearing such callous treatment of such a faithful servant. “I for one would be glad to have her as head housekeeper at Hinansho. What do the rest of you think?”

Haruhi stated, “I think that’s a wonderful idea. What better way to reward her for her loyalty to Tamaki, than providing her with a position for which she is so obviously qualified.”

“Hear, hear,” the remaining hosts responded.

Mitsukuni looked pensive and then said, “That’s our first staffing decision—actually second, since we decided on Fuyumi as event coordinator. Why don’t we continue in that vein? I have a suggestion for kitchen supervisor. My parents are planning to dismiss Kairi, our pastry chef because they no longer want sweets to be readily available in the house. My family hired him away from a large resort five years ago. He was the head of the kitchen there but also a world-renowned patisserie who created a single, spectacular dessert every day.”

“Hmm,” Kyoya pondered. “It sounds like he would be an excellent person to have on staff for weddings and other special events. Honey-sempai, as long as everyone else agrees, I suggest extending the offer and see if he would be interested.”

A chorus of agreement greeted Kyoya’s suggestion. 

“Hey, Kyoya?” Haruhi leaned over and touched his sleeve to get his attention.

“Yes?” he responded, looking at in her direction.

“Tachibana would be a good choice for head of security, don’t you think?”

Kyoya’s quirked an eyebrow. “Why didn’t I think of that? Since he is a registered agent for the Hinan family, it makes sense for him to head security. That’s a good idea, Haruhi.”

“Well, it makes sense with Fuyumi as event coordinator. I don’t know if Dad would be interested in a position with the Hinan family apart from agent. He’s perfectly happy at the bar where he works now.”

“He could be first bartender contacted if an event needs one. That way he won’t feel left out,” Kaoru suggested. “And I’m sure he wouldn’t mind the extra spending money.”

Haruhi smiled at him. “Thanks, Kaoru. That’s a great idea!”

Takashi spoke up quietly, “I have a suggestion for someone to oversee the garage and be chauffeur, as well as be part of the security staff. He is a former karate and kendo champion that just retired from the rally car circuit. He was a driver for a while, but more recently a mechanic. He’s tired of all the travel and wants to settle down.”

“Wow,” Hikaru said. “He sounds like someone who would be good to have around. What’s his name?”

“Atsuhiro,” Takashi stated.

“Don’t tell me you mean Atsuhiro Hiyama?” Hikaru said excitedly. “He would have made the World Cup rally circuit if that accident hadn’t totaled his car. It was the reason he designed that new suspension system.”

Haruhi chuckled. “Looks like we have a fanboy here.”

Kaoru cut in. “Some of the models we worked with a few years ago insisted on having his races on the monitors in the changing tents. They were practically drooling over him. I have to admit that his races were intensely exciting to watch.”

“Hey, it wasn’t his looks that got my attention,” Hikaru protested. “That guy can drive. And that suspension system was genius. It’s practically standard equipment on all cars now.”

Takashi patted Hikaru’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Hikaru. We get it. He’s a great guy. Sounds like just the driver to have if you need to avoid paparazzi. That could be very important considering how high profile our families are.”

Kyoya interrupted. “To get back on topic, Takashi, please extend an offer of employment on behalf of the Hinan family.”

Pulling out his ever-present notebook, Kyoya started jotting down notes from their discussion. “Let’s see. Assuming all of our choices accept the offers, we have head housekeeper, Shima. She can decide how many maids and butlers would be appropriate. Kairi as kitchen supervisor will know what’s needed there. With Tachibana heading security and Atsuhiro overseeing the garage, we’ve made some definite progress already.”

“That just leaves grounds, gardens, and the pool,” Haruhi interjected. “If we use Takashi’s suggestion from last week, to choose security personnel with those skills, we can keep the staff—and expenses—to a minimum while covering all the necessary work.”

“Hey, Haruhi, when did you start calling Mori-sempai by his first name?” Hikaru asked. “Is there something going on between you two?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Before she had a chance to answer, Mitsukuni piped up, “Last weekend, after our morning workout, Takashi and I asked her to call us by our first names when we’re not at school. In fact, all of you can call us by our first names, we’re practically family.”

Kyoya had to clamp down on the jealousy that flared as Haruhi praised Takashi. “ _She’s not mine and probably never will be. I need to get used to her praising someone else,”_ he thought bitterly.

“I think we have a number of good candidates from several recent groups that completed training,” Mitsukuni said. “Not just for the grounds but for the household and kitchen as well.”

“That sound like a good idea,” Kyoya allowed. “If you’ll put a packet together on each of them, Tachibana can take the first look and then pass them along the ones for the household and kitchen to the respective supervisors. They can evaluate the candidates and schedule the interviews.”

The car pulled through the gates of Hinansho and Tamaki said, “Wow! We got a lot done on our car ride. Now we have all day to have fun with the costumes and photo shoot.”

Five minutes later, the photographer and his assistant arrived in a van with all their equipment and the clothes. “Where should we set up?” he asked Hikaru.

Hikaru gestured to the west. “The gardens where we’ll be doing most of the shoot are in that direction.”

“Where will the wardrobe changes be done?” the assistant asked.

“We’ll be using one of the cottages near the gardens so we won’t need the tents,” Hikaru replied.

Kaoru stepped forward. “Follow me and I’ll help you get settled in.”

Before they could go anywhere, Hikaru waved his hands to get everyone’s attention. “We should take a tour of the estate before we begin. That way we’ll know what backdrops we have to work with.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Are you going to take Fuyumi’s part this time?” Haruhi teased.

“Ha, ha, very funny,” he responded.

Kyoya interjected, “Why don’t I lead this time since I looked the property over extensively before its purchase?”

Haruhi half-bowed and swept her hand as if to say “After you.”

“Before we begin, we should take our garment bags to the cottage so we don’t have to carry them around,” Kyoya suggested.

After taking care of that bit of business, Kyoya led them into the main house. They toured the fitness center, the lounge, and the restaurant. Then they looked into a room on each floor to see the general layout for each type. The photographer and assistant followed along, taking pictures unobtrusively.

“Wow, the executive apartments on the third floor are impressive,” Tamaki said in awe.

“Yes, I believe they were designed for the co-owners to occupy,” Kyoya supplied.

Mitsukuni looked thoughtful. “Hmm. There are ten apartments. There are seven of us and three agents. Wouldn’t it make sense for us to each choose one? We could use them as offices when we’re here on Hinan family business.”

Kaoru spoke up, “That’s a great idea. Hikaru and I could take the ones on the west end, overlooking the gardens. That’s probably where most of the photo shoots would take place.”

Mitsukuni added, “Takashi and I could take the ones on the east end, overlooking the dojo.”

“Kyoya should have the one in front in the middle. That one gives the best view of the gates and the entrance so he can see the comings and goings,” Tamaki suggested.

“I should have Tachibana on the west side of me and Tamaki on the east side, away from the twins,” Kyoya said.

“That leave the three in the back for Fuyumi, Dad and me. My dad would probably prefer it that I be in the middle. He would want to be on the west side, between the twins and me. That leaves the east side for Fuyumi,” Haruhi finished.

Hikaru interrupted, “This all sounds good, but we should probably get the tour finished so we can get down to the business of the photo shoot.”

The half hour after they finished the tour was a flurry of activity as six racks of clothing were moved from the van to the cottage. Five of the racks held various cosplay outfits in various themes. The sixth rack held just four garment bags.

Kaoru walked over to the sixth rack and checked the tags on the garment bags. Taking two, he handed one to Mitsukuni and the other to Takashi. “Hey, guys, would you change into your suits? I want to check the fit before we get started.”

“Ooo, thank you, Kaoru,” Mitsukuni enthused, taking the garment bag handed to him.

Takashi nodded his thanks and the cousins claimed one of the bedrooms as their changing room.

“How about everyone else changes into their uniforms?” Tamaki suggested. “That way we can start with some of the individual and small group shots while Kaoru is working with Hon—Mitsukuni and Mo—Takashi. That’s going to take a little getting used to.”

Using the gazebo as a background, the photographer took individual shots of Haruhi, Kyoya, Tamaki, and Hikaru. He had just finished the first grouping of Tamaki and Kyoya when Kaoru, Mitsukuni, and Takashi joined them.

Haruhi’s eyes widened. “WOW! You two look fantastic!”

The photographer’s assistant started to fan herself. “Is it me or did the hotness level just rise a couple notches?”

Takashi blushed and Mitsukuni grinned broadly. “The girls might have trouble recognizing us in these suits,” Mitsukuni gushed. “Hikaru and Kaoru, you guys outdid yourselves. These are great!”

The photographer said, “Let’s get the photos of you two separately and then together in those suits.” He smirked, “My assistant won’t be of any use until you’ve changed out of them. Or at least covered them with the graduation robes.”

Mitsukuni and Takashi had fun with serious and silly poses, knowing that the best would be chosen for the photobooks and the other would end up in their private collections. They slipped the graduation gowns on over their suits and the photographer took another round of photos.

“We got some great shots,” the photographer declared. “You two change into your uniforms while I continue with grouped shots.” He gestured for Hikaru and Kaoru to take their place by the gazebo.

By the time the cousins returned, Kaoru’s individual photos were done and they had each had their photo taken with Haruhi. “Let’s pick up with the full Host Club photo and then finish up the individual and small group shots,” the photographer directed.

While Takashi and Mitsukuni were getting their individual photos, the rest of the hosts started discussing which cosplay themes they wanted to have photographed after lunch.

“Speaking of lunch,” Haruhi said. “What are we going to do for lunch? The kitchens are bare right now.”

“Hmm,” Kyoya murmured. He pulled out his phone and sent off a text message. “We should have time for one cosplay shoot before Tachibana is here with lunch. I told him to pick up a wide selection from my favorite sushi restaurant.”

“MMM,” Haruhi hummed. “Sushi.”

Tamaki said, “If we have time for one before lunch, we better decide which one. How about feudal Japan?”

“That sounds good,” Kaoru agreed. “I’ll pull the costumes and we can start getting changed.”

Mitsukuni walked up and asked, “What’s next?”

“We’re going to do a feudal Japan cosplay shoot before lunch arrives,” Tamaki answered.

The photographer and his assistant had fun posing the hosts in different positions and groupings, as well as different backgrounds, including the meditation garden and koi pond. Just as he said, “Done,” Tachibana appeared with several large to-go trays.

“Lunch has arrived!” Tamaki shouted.

Everyone sat around the table in the dining room of the cottage, enjoying the sushi and talking about which cosplay to do after lunch.

“Hey, Kaoru, what cosplay themes can we do with what we have?” Haruhi asked.

Finishing his mouthful, he answered, “Well, there’s American Wild West, French Revolution, British High Tea, and Fairy Tale.”

“How about we just do them in that order after lunch?” Hikaru suggested.

“Don’t forget,” Haruhi interrupted, “Mitsukuni and Takashi need photos taken at the dojo. I think it would be nice to include photos of them wearing their gi by the koi pond and in the mediation garden.”

“Good idea, Haruhi,” Takashi said.

Kyoya spoke up. “How about we skip the French Revolution for today? That’s the one that takes the most preparation and clean up. We don’t have to do everything today.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Tamaki responded. “Mitsukuni and Takashi will dress in their gi and get those photos taken while the rest of us dress for the American Wild West. They can join us when they’re done.”

When Haruhi came out of the bedroom she was using as a changing room, she found Hikaru and Kaoru sorting through the costumes. They rearranged the clothes on the racks, leaving two empty. On one of the empty rack, they hung the costumes for the British High Tea cosplay. On the other, the Fairy Tale costumes.

“Hey, Hikaru?” Haruhi asked.

“What, Haruhi?” he replied.

“Can we do a reverse—well kind of—on the Fairy Tale? Instead of the usual, Tamaki as prince, Kyoya as evil wizard, me as princess, Mitsukuni and Takashi as palace guards, and you two as citizens, let’s change things up.”

“What do you have on your devious little mind?” Kaoru questioned, with a raised eyebrow.

“Let’s make you two the palace guards, Mitsukuni and Takashi farmers, Tamaki the evil wizard, me the prince, and Kyoya the princess,” Haruhi smirked.

“Ooo, we like the way you think,” the twins said in unison.

Mitsukuni and Takashi entered the cottage just after Haruhi finished outlining her idea to the twins. Hikaru said, “As soon as you two change, we can have a shoot-out. Here are your Wild West costumes.”

“I’m going to talk to the photographer for a few minutes. I’ll meet you guys out there.” Haruhi waved as she walked out the door.

As Haruhi outlined her idea for the Fairy Tale cosplay, the photographer’s grin got wider and wider. “That sounds like a great idea. In fact, I think I’ll use storytelling for each of the themes to direct each shoot segment. That will probably make it easier for you all to visualize how I want you to pose and interact,” he chuckled.

True to his word, the photographer narrated a story for each theme. He started out in the character of the theme and then got silly toward the end. The last photos of the American Wild West had Haruhi carried piggyback by Takashi, Kaoru carried piggyback by Hikaru, and the rest of the hosts chasing them like Haruhi and Kaoru were horse thieves.

By the end of the British High Tea theme, it more closely resembled the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland. Everyone was laughing and hugging one another.

Haruhi suppressed her smile as she watched Kyoya’s face when he saw his costume for the Fairy Tale-themed shoot.

“Tamaki, is this your idea of a joke?” he asked caustically.

“What? No, I had nothing to do with assigning roles. Talk to the twins,” he responded, shrinking back slightly.

“Not us,” Kaoru said. “Haruhi wanted to do the last one with a twist. She’s the one who assigned the parts.”

Kyoya turned to look at Haruhi, his eyebrows raised. She just covered her mouth to hide her mirth. “I thought it was only fair. I usually get cast as the damsel in distress.”

Rolling his eyes, he said, “Oh, very well. I shall take the part of the princess. Next time, Tamaki, it will be your turn.”

The photographer told the story just as Haruhi asked him to. “Okay, we’re going to start with the princess and her faithful palace guards.” Hikaru and Kaoru took up their positions on either side of Kyoya.

“Now the evil wizard puts a paralysis spell on the guards and steals the princess, dragging her into the forest.” Tamaki waved his hand at the twins, gave an evil grin as he grabbed Kyoya’s hand, pulling him away from the twins and toward the hedge maze in the formal garden.

“The princess manages to escape and is helped by two farmers.” Kyoya pulled away from Tamaki, knocking him down, and ran to Mitsukuni and Takashi.

“But the evil wizard casts a sleeping spell on the princess.” Reluctantly, Kyoya collapsed into the grass. Mitsukuni and Takashi take up positions to stand guard over the prone figure of Kyoya.

“Along comes a prince, who spies the sleeping princess.” Haruhi steps out of the sakura trees and looks at Kyoya laying on the ground.

“The prince awakens the princess with a kiss.” Haruhi kneels by Kyoya and softly kisses him on the lips. His eyes fly open in shock. She pulls back slightly and smirks at him. “Gotcha,” she whispers.

“Way to go, Haruhi,” the twins shout and then whistle loudly. The others just stand around gaping at Haruhi’s bold move and Kyoya’s red face.

“And that’s a wrap,” the photographer shouts, laughing.

Mitsukuni clapped his hands and proclaimed, “That was a lot of fun. But it’s getting late, so we should get changed and pack up.”

The photographer handed Hikaru a sleeve with several memory cards. “They are marked with each of the shoots. I had a lot of fun with you guys today. So much better than the divas I usually have to deal with. Let me know when you want to do this again. I’ll make room in my schedule.”

“Thanks, we’ll keep that in mind. Good work today,” Hikaru replied, shaking his hand firmly.

After everything was packed back into the van, the photographer and his assistant left. The Host Club climbed into the limousine, ready to head back to the Haninozuka estate and dinner.

Holding up the memory cards, Hikaru said, “We can go through the photos tomorrow and decide which photos we want in each photobook.”

“We should have them ready to send to the printers by Monday morning at this rate,” Kyoya commended. “That means they will be back by Wednesday, just in time for our final Host Club hours of the school year.”

“Yay!” Mitsukuni cheered. “Our book will be ready before graduation. That’s great!”

Haruhi looked around and thought, “ _This is what family is supposed to be.”_ She smiled softly to herself.

She didn’t notice that she was being watched. Kyoya thought, “ _Did that kiss mean anything? Or was it just payback for that time I kissed her. I don’t care, I really enjoyed it.”_

The ride home was punctuated by laughter and teasing, remembering all the fun they had and looking forward to sorting through the pictures.

* * *

“Hey, Mitsukuni, is there a room with a projector I can hook my laptop to?” Hikaru asked at breakfast Sunday morning. “I figure that would be better than all of us trying to crowd around to look at the pictures from yesterday.”

“Sure, we have a conference room with a projector. There’s even a printer and photo stock if you want to print out some test pages.”

“This is going to be so much fun,” Tamaki enthused. “We’ll get to see all the photos and decide how to put the photo books together.”

Haruhi spoke up, “With a printer, we could even create a brochure and print copies for Kanako, the Kendo Tournament Committee, and the Hitachiins so they don’t have to wait until we get the order back from the printers.”

Kyoya walked into the dining room, a scowl on his face because it was only seven o’clock in the morning. “Must we begin so early on a Sunday?” he growled.

“We were going to let you sleep, but I guess Tamaki running up and down the halls wanting to see the photos from yesterday ended that,” Haruhi replied.

He walked straight to the coffee pot on the sideboard and poured himself a cup. After taking a gulp, he turned to face the dining room. “Very well, let’s go through the photos.”

Mitsukuni stood up and said, “I’ve finished breakfast. Hikaru, do you want to come with me to get things set up in the conference room?”

“Sure, show me where it is and then I’ll go grab my laptop and the memory cards,” Hikaru responded as he followed Mitsukuni.

Kyoya sat down at the table next to Haruhi. “Have I missed anything of importance this morning?” he murmured.

“No, the photos are all we’ve talked about. Mitsukuni mentioned that the conference room has a printer with photo stock. I suggested making brochures from Kanako, the Kendo Tournament Committee, and the Hitachiins.”

Haruhi was quiet for a few minutes, lost in thought. “You know,” she began, “if we’re going to use events to fund the running of Hinansho, we’ll need a brochure for any interested parties. It would have the contact information and available venues. I think it would be better to leave the prices off the brochure. That way, if we decide to charge one person a particular rate, not everyone will expect that same rate.

“For instance, because Kanako is a friend and client of the Host Club, what we quote her for the garden venue would most likely be less than what we would quote for, say, a cousin of a business partner contracting for the same use.”

Kyoya looked at her and said, “That’s a very astute business practice. I suggest that we get a separate phone and drop box set up for Fuyumi to use as event coordinator. That will keep things separate and easy to manage.”

“I hadn’t thought of that but it makes perfect sense,” Haruhi agreed.

Kaoru finished his breakfast and went to find Hikaru and Mitsukuni. Takashi brought Kyoya a small plate with a piece of toast and small rolled omelet.

As the plate was set in front of him, Kyoya looked up, surprised.

Haruhi grinned, “Thank you, Takashi. He does need more than coffee for breakfast.”

“That’s right, mon ami,” Tamaki agreed, poking Kyoya’s shoulder.

Takashi smiled and said, “Welcome.”

Ten minutes later, Mitsukuni popped his head through the dining room door. He called, “Hey, are you guys going to take all morning? Hikaru has the laptop set up. The pictures will be pulled up by the time we get there.”

Everyone followed Mitsukuni to the conference room. As everyone seated themselves around the table, Haruhi asked, “How are we going to create the brochure if we don’t have the phone number or drop box yet?”

“I can text Tachibana to pick up a phone and arrange for a drop box. It shouldn’t take very long, not even on a Sunday,” Kyoya replied, taking out his phone and starting to type even before he finished his sentence.

They spent the next two hours sorting the photos into folders, one for each photo book they planned, one for the brochure, and one for the extra photos. Halfway through, Tachibana arrived with the phone and paperwork for the drop box.

  
Much to Kyoya’s chagrin, the reverse fairy tale was getting its own photo book rather than being mixed into the cosplay book. _“I will never be able to live down being the damsel in distress,_ ” he muttered to himself.

“There,” Hikaru said with a satisfied grin. “They are all ready to go to the printer tomorrow. We’ll mark the Mitsukuni, Takashi, and Graduate books ‘RUSH’ so they’ll be available to sell on Wednesday at Host Club.”

Haruhi spoke up, “Hey, Hikaru.”

“Yeah?”

“Could you print three copies of the brochure? I want to give one to Kanako tomorrow, you’ll have one to give to your parents, and Takashi can drop one off at the Kendo Tournament Committee office.”

“No problem, it’ll just take a minute.”

As the printer hummed quietly, Kyoya stood up to get everyone’s attention. “Earlier this weekend, we identified four people to whom the Hinan family wants to extend job offers. We need to decide their pay and benefits. We also need to give them a budget to hire the necessary personnel to round out the staff here at Hinansho.”

Haruhi got up as well and stood next to him. “We also need to decide a price range for each venue. That way we’ll know how many events will need to be approved to support the household, in addition to the staff. Fuyumi will also need a range to quote from when potential clients contact her.”

“We should make pricing specific to the venues used. If someone wants to have a wedding in the garden, but they also want the wedding party to stay in the cottages and have meals provided in the restaurant, they should know they are paying for three venues, not just one,” Tamaki interjected.

“Good thinking. And the contracts should spell out exactly what is and is not included in each venue,” Kaoru added.

Mitsukuni piped up, “We may want to talk to Kairi about specialty desserts and catering as well as the restaurant and lounge. I’ve heard him mention a few times that he started out with a caterer and really enjoyed it.”

“Hmm,” Kyoya intoned. “I think we need to ask Shima, Kairi, Atsuhiro, Tachibana, Fuyumi, and Ryoji to join us here for dinner on Wednesday. We can outline what we’re thinking and they can give us feedback. Is everyone available?”

A chorus of affirmative responses rang out.

“Tamaki, you will invite Shima. Mitsukuni, you will invite Kairi. Takashi, you will invite Atsuhiro. Haruhi, you will invite your dad. I will invite Tachibana and Fuyumi. Let me know as soon as possible if Wednesday doesn’t work for anyone.

“I’ll make arrangements for the dinner and we can all come together right after Host Club,” Kyoya said.

“Could we stop and pick up my dad?” Haruhi asked.

“Of course. It would only be a little out of our way, so it should be no problem.”

Mitsukuni piped up, “Now that all of the business is out of the way, let’s go have fun!”


	7. Summer at Hinansho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last of the pieces fall into place and the foundation is ready.

Monday morning, Kanako was waiting for Haruhi on the front steps of the school. “ _She must be getting really anxious about the wedding venue_ ,” Haruhi thought.

It was all Kanako could do to maintain her composure and not run to Haruhi as soon as she saw him walking toward the school. “ _I hope he has good news. Mother was insisting all weekend that we have to postpone the wedding. I don’t want to send all those obligatory gifts and apology notes about changing the wedding date. Not to mention finding another venue and re-sending all of the invitations.”_

“Good morning, Kanako,” Haruhi greeted.

“Do you have good news?” Kanako blurted out. Covering her mouth in embarrassment, she blushed.

Ignoring Kanako’s discomfort, Haruhi replied, “Yes. I have good news.” She pulled the small, tasteful brochure the Host Club had designed out of her satchel.

“The Hinan family recently decided to allow their lovely estate to be used occasionally for special events,” Haruhi stated. She handed the brochure to Kanako and asked, “Does this look like an appropriate venue for your wedding?”

Kanako looked at the photos in the brochure and was captivated by the gazebo, sakura grove, and formal gardens. “This looks like it will be perfect. Even better than the original venue,” she enthused.

“Glad I could help,” Haruhi replied. “The phone number for the Hinan family’s event coordinator in on the back. She is expecting your call.”

Unexpectedly, Kanako’s wrapped her arms around Haruhi in a fierce hug. “You have no idea how much this means to me,” Kanako said. She stepped back from Haruhi and blushed at her forward manner. “I need to call my mother to give her the information to call the agent. Oh, thank you so much, Haruhi. I’m sorry I won’t see you at Host Club this afternoon, but I have an appointment for my dress fitting.” With that, Kanako turned and headed into the school.

Before she could recover from the whirlwind of Kanako, she was surrounded by the twins. “Well, that looked like it went well,” Hikaru purred in her ear, nuzzling her slightly.

Haruhi playfully pushed him away. “Oh, go on. She was just happy that she didn’t have to postpone the wedding.” 

“I don’t know,” Kaoru murmured. “That hug looked pretty cozy to me. She was your first kiss after all.”

Haruhi just rolled her eyes. “I will not dignify that comment with an answer. Let’s get to class. I want to review my notes one more time before the test.”

The twins hooked their elbows with Haruhi’s and dragged her off to the classroom for their first class.

* * *

Just after lunch, Kyoya heard a *DING*

Looking at his phone, he thought, _“I wasn’t expecting any texts today. Hmm, it’s from Fuyumi._ ”

*****As event coordinator, you guys need to call me after Host Club today.*****

_“I hope there are no problems. I’d hate to have her quit on her first day when there are only three requests,”_ Kyoya thought.

* * *

After all the guests had left, the hosts gathered around a table. Kyoya dialed the phone number that had been set up for the event coordinator and set his phone in the middle of the table on speaker.

“Good evening,” Fuyumi answered.

“Good evening, Fuyumi. We’re calling as you requested. Is there a problem?” Kyoya asked.

“How many brochures did you guys hand out,” Fuyumi asked, a hint of—annoyance?-- in her voice.

“We only had the one we gave to our parents last night when we got home,” Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison.

“I delivered one to the Kendo Tournament Committee office on my way to school this morning,” Takashi added.

“I gave one to Kanako this morning before school,” Haruhi finished. “We only printed three yesterday. The order for more went to the printer this morning, but they won’t be ready until Wednesday, at the earliest.”

Kyoya cut in. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I have received a dozen phone calls in addition to those three you told me to expect.”

Mitsukuni looked confused. “How could that happen?”

Kyoya responded, “Obviously, one or more of the people we gave brochures to passed the information on to others. Fuyumi, what types of requests were the unexpected calls?”

“I’ll say right up front that I think there are two that should be denied outright. One was for an executive retreat and they wanted us to supply ‘entertainment’ for them.” The tone of Fuyumi’s voice highlighted the spoken quotes and left no doubt in anyone’s mind what kind of ‘entertainment’ they wanted. 

“The other was a sales convention with a reputation of being rowdy, rude, and destructive.”

“What did you tell them?” Haruhi asked.

“Those two? Or all of them?” Fuyumi replied.

“What did you tell those two?” Kyoya interjected.

Fuyumi chuckled, “Actually, I told them all the same thing. Because this is the Hinan family’s home, all requests must be approved by the Hinan family. They meet on Wednesdays to review all applications.”

“I like that answer,” Kaoru said.

“And would you believe,“ Fuyumi continued, “after hearing that approval was needed, six of them tried to pay me to ‘put in a good word’ with the family for them. The nerve of some people.”

“What did you say to them about the bribes?” Kyoya inquired, letting Fuyumi and the rest of the hosts know that was exactly what the payments were.

“They didn’t call them bribes. They called them gifts to show their gratitude at my assistance in getting their event approved by the family. I told them I had no influence with the family, but if they really wanted to send a gift to the drop box, I couldn’t stop them.”

All of the hosts laughed at Fuyumi’s handling of the situation.

Haruhi piped up, “It looks like we hired the right event coordinator. So, what are you going to do with your ‘gifts’?”

“Actually, I don’t want them. Why don’t we set them aside in a special fund and decide what to do with them later?” Fuyumi replied.

Kyoya was shaking his head and laughing silently at his sister’s antics. “Please make a notation on the requests that offer you a ‘gift.’ I’d like to figure out just why they are offering such an incentive.”

“Will do. Still, any ideas on how the information got out with only three specifically targeted brochures?” Fuyumi asked, directing the conversation back to the central point of the call.

Haruhi spoke up first. “I suppose Kanako’s mother could have shown the brochure to people at the bridal dress shop. Kanako had a fitting there this afternoon.”

“Possible,” Fuyumi allowed. “But some of these calls came in the late morning, while she was at school.”

Hikaru cut in. “Maybe one of our parents’ appointments this morning saw their copy.”

“It may also have been the Kendo Tournament office,” Takashi admitted. “There were a number of committee members in attendance when I dropped off the brochure with the secretary. I specifically told her it was related to the Chiba tournament relocation.”

Kyoya chuckled. “Well, it looks like word of mouth will be a very effective marketing method for Hinansho. Our Wednesdays this summer may be very busy evaluating requests.” He glanced over at Haruhi and noticed that she seemed to relax her tense posture. _“I wonder if she was worried about events earning enough to cover expenses,”_ he mused.

Tamaki spoke up, “Hey, Fuyumi, is there anything else you need?”

“Not that I know of at the moment. I just wanted to be sure I hadn’t missed a message when I started getting all those calls and you told me to expect three.” There was the sound of a door opening and closing in the background. “I have to go. My husband just got home and we have family plans to go to dinner and the Ren Theater.”

Mitsukuni said, “Ooo, that sounds like fun. Enjoy your evening. We’ll see you on Wednesday.”

“Thanks. ‘Bye for now,” Fuyumi said as she disconnected the call.

Kyoya picked up his phone and slid it into his pocket. Turning to Haruhi, he said, “It looks like Hinansho will have no trouble supporting itself if this is the number of requests before we even start ‘advertising.’ As long as there are requests—reputable enough to be approved, I think we’re set.”

Haruhi smiled brightly. “I’m looking forward to Wednesday. There will be a lot of work to do, getting all the people in place. But I also think it will be a lot of fun—fun setting up our place of refuge.”

The other hosts laughed at her use of Hinansho’s meaning.

* * *

That evening, Ryoji returned from running errands to find Haruhi in the kitchen making rice balls for dinner and humming, tunelessly but happily, to herself.

“You sound chipper,” he stated. “I take it things are going well on your plans. You haven’t mentioned anything since I went to Ryo’s office to sign all that paperwork.”

Haruhi turned around and smile brightly at him. “Things are really starting to come together. In fact, I hope you’re available Wednesday night. We want to have a dinner with the agents to bring you all up to speed on the things we’re doing.”

“What time?”

“We’ll be picking you up right after Host Club. Do you work that night?”

“No, since I covered Nao’s shift on Saturday, he’s taking mine on Wednesday.”

“Great. That way we don’t need to worry if we get wrapped up talking about things.”

“Is dinner almost ready? I’m starving and I do need to work tonight.”

Haruhi glanced around the kitchen. “Everything is ready. Have a seat at the table and I’ll bring it all in.”

* * *

Fuyumi and Shima were waiting when the Host Club, Ryoji, and Tachibana arrived at Hinansho. As they climbed out of the limousine, Fuyumi called, “Welcome. We are going to have so much fun.”

Kyoya braced himself as she threw her arms around him for a hug. “Where are Masaya and Hibiki?” he asked.

“Seiji wanted to take them to the aquarium tonight,” Fuyumi replied. “He figured we’d get a lot more done if those two weren’t trying to charm everyone’s attention, especially Uncle Kyoya’s.”

Standing at his shoulder, Tamaki chuckled. “She’s got you there, mon ami.”

Haruhi turned to Takashi and Mitsukuni. “Are Kairi and Atsuhiro going to be able to make it?”

Takashi responded, “Atsuhiro should be here in ten minutes. He texted me about a traffic delay.”

Mitsukuni added, “I just got a text from Kairi. He just took a soufflé out of the oven. My parents are entertaining some French dignitaries and thought that would be an appropriate dish for dinner tonight. If there are no traffic problems, he should be here in fifteen minutes.”

Glancing at his watch, Kyoya stated, “Then they will be arriving right on time. Is there anything we’d like to do while we’re waiting?”

“I, for one, would like to know what this place is and why we’re here?” Ryoji queried.

Haruhi hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. “Sorry, Dad. I forgot that I haven’t had time to tell you all about this place.”

Kyoya interrupted. “Takashi and MItsukuni, have you acquainted Kairi and Atsuhiro with the details surrounding Hinansho?”

Mitsukuni responded for both of them. “We haven’t had the opportunity yet. We only extended the employment offers from the Hinan family. I figured we’d lay out the plan tonight so they are all getting the same information.”

Turning to Ryoji, Kyoya asked, “Are you willing to wait until dinner? That way we’ll only have to explain it once.”

“I’m willing to wait for the explanation. Could we take a look around the grounds while we’re waiting for the other two to arrive?”

Fuyumi piped up, “Everybody follow me.”

Shima murmured sedately, “I will remain here to wait for our other guests. We will meet you in the lobby when you finish your tour.”

“I shall remain as well,” Tachibana added.

“Okay, Shima and Tachibana. Thank you for thinking of that,” Fuyumi replied. Turning to the remaining group, she exclaimed in her best tour guide voice, “Right this way…”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the group returned, Ryoji gushing over the grounds and Haruhi smiling indulgently. “So, what do you think, Dad?” she teased.

He gave her a look and playfully swatted at her arm. “Well, if you had been listening, you’d know.”

The other hosts chuckled at their father-daughter antics. Fuyumi said, “We decided to set up dinner in Haruhi’s apartment…”

“Wait, what?” Ryoji interrupted. “My baby girl has an apartment here? What’s going on?” He glared at the young men.

Rolling her eyes, Haruhi responded, “We all have apartments here. We’ll be using them as offices when we’re here on Hinan family business. Even you have an apartment here, Dad. It’s on the west side of mine, next to Hikaru’s.”

“Why do they have to be apartments?” he demanded. “Why aren’t they just little offices?”

“This was originally designed as a resort and the owners were going to be living in those apartments. You remember that big scandal last month? With the embezzlement and fraud? Your friend, Shohei was going to be working as a bartender but it all fell through, remember?”

“Oh yeah, I remember how upset he was because it was good pay and included an on-site apartment.” Comprehension dawned. “That was this place?”

By that time, they had reach Haruhi’s apartment and Shima let them in. Tachibana, Kairi, and Atsuhiro were talking quietly while waiting for the others.

“Before we have dinner,” Haruhi announced, “let’s introduce ourselves. I’ll start. I’m Haruhi Fujioka, a first year student at Ouran High School and a member of the Host Club.”

“I’m Ryoji Fujioka, Haruhi’s father. I am a registered agent for the Hinan family. I also work in a tranny bar as a bartender under the name Ranka.”

“I am Kyoya Otori, a second year student at Ouran High School and a member of the Host Club.”

“Takashi Morinozuka, third year and a member of the Host Club.”

“Mitsukuni Haninozuka, also third year and member of the Host Club.”

“Seizaburo Tachibana. I am Kyoya Otori’s bodyguard, a registered agent for the Hinan family, and head of Hinan security.”

“Tamaki Suoh. I am a second year student and president of the Host Club.”

In unison, the twins said, “We are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. We are first year students and members of the Host Club. Want to play the ‘Which one is Hikaru?’ game?”

Haruhi snorted a laugh and said, “Cut it out you two.”

Kairi and Atsuhiro’s eyes were wide as they realized the company they were standing in.

Fuyumi spoke up. “Don’t worry. They’re harmless. I’m Fuyumi Shido, Kyoya’s sister. I am also a registered agent, as well as the events coordinator for the Hinan family.”

“I am Shima, formerly of the Suoh mansion #2. I am now the head housekeeper here at Hinansho.”

Kairi suspected there was a story behind that introduction, probably a lot like his own. “I am Kairi Okayasu, formerly pastry chef at the Haninozuka estate. Tonight was my last night. I trained in Paris and was kitchen supervisor at a large resort, before I was hired away by the Haninozuka family. I look forward to supervising the kitchen here at Hinansho.”

“I guess I’m the last one,” Atsuhiro chuckled. “I am Atsuhiro Hiyama, former karate and kendo world champion, as well as former Rally Car driver and mechanic. I look forward to being the mechanic and chauffeur for the Hinan family, as well as providing security under Tachibana-san.”

Mitsukuni piped up, “Tachibana, did you get the box of candidate packets?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I placed them in my apartment and I will look them over later.

“Good, one more thing done on our list.”

Kairi spoke up, “I don’t mean to sound suspicious, but when are we going to meet the Hinan family?”

The Host Club members laughed. Tamaki prodded Haruhi and said, “You should probably explain.”

Haruhi poked him back and then explained how and why the Hinan family had been newly created. Then she added, “There were no officially registered members yet but it’s ready just in case any of us needs a refuge.”

Kairi smiled. “That explains the name. It’s a very interesting idea.”

Shima interrupted, “Now that introductions are complete, it is time to eat dinner.”

The group settled around the table and started passing dishes. Once everyone had something to eat, Fuyumi passed around a list describing the event requests she had received. “The first three on the list are the pre-approved ones for the wedding, the photo shoot, and the kendo tournament. 

After looking over the list, Haruhi said, “I think we should approve the other three weddings. I recognize the names from conversations with Kanako. They were all supposed to be at the same venue as Kanako’s.

Fuyumi nodded and asked, “Anyone have any objections?”

Kairi spoke up, “I see no problem with those. If you don’t mind, can we deny the Sakura Group, the Ito Conglomerate, and the Murai Corporation executive retreats? I dealt with them when I worked at the resort and they were nothing but trouble.”

“Fine by me,” Fuyumi replied. “The Sakura Group is the one that wanted us to provide ‘entertainment.’ They also offered me a rather substantial bribe to influence the Hinan family to approve their event.”

“As well as those three,” Kyoya added, “we should deny the Kento Pharmaceuticals conference and the American Football League. Kento exploits their workers while indulging their executives, resulting in truly abysmal behavior. The American Football League is known for leaving damage in their wake, much like the soccer group that ruined the venue where Kanako and Tohru originally scheduled their wedding.”

Fuyumi marked the list. “Okay, that take care of eight of the fifteen. It looks like two of the remaining seven conflict with the weddings, so we’ll have to deny those.”

Teasingly, Hikaru said, “I don’t know about these other two executive retreats. Anyone know anything about the Haninozukas and Morinozukas?”

Everyone laughed as Fuyumi marked those two “Approved.”

Takashi spoke up, “I like the sounds of the three conferences that remain on the list. Single parenting, domestic violence, and teen suicide are very real problems that need to be addressed. I wonder if they would mind if we attend?”

Haruhi smiled at Takashi. “That’s very true. Maybe we should give those three a discount?”

“That’s what we could use the bribes for! We could cover the difference between the usual fee and what we charge those groups,” Tamaki suggested.

“Excellent idea, Tono,” Kaoru said.

“Well, looks like that didn’t take as long as I expected,” Fuyumi sighed in relief. “I will be sure to ask the conferences if Hinan family members may attend.”

Kyoya asked, “Shima and Kairi, will you have enough time to hire and train staff before the first event?”

Shima answered, “Tachibana mentioned that there would be candidate packets available. Could he explain what he meant by that?”

Mitsukuni responded, “I should answer that instead. When we first started talking about staffing for Hinansho, it was suggested that all our staff have security training. I put together packets from the last four Haninozuka/Morinozuka training groups of personnel with prior household, kitchen, and grounds training. There were quite a number in those groups that had been dismissed from households that were downsizing their staff. There are always opening for security jobs so they applied for training to expand their job prospects.”

“Cross-training with security is a good idea,” Kairi admitted. “You never know where a security issue will pop up. There was more than one incident of paparazzi sneaking into the kitchen at the resort to gain access to celebrities. Having kitchen staff trained in security rather than having to call security is a good idea.”

Shima nodded. “I agree with that for housekeeping staff as well. Maids should be able to defend themselves and deal with problems rather than having to wait for security.”

“That will also keep our on-site staff numbers down,” Kyoya said. “That is one of the reasons we can offer such attractive salaries and benefit packages.”

Tamaki spoke up, “We should identify one or two reputable temporary agencies to contact for additional labor for larger events.”

“That reminds me,” Haruhi interrupted. Turning to Ryoji she continued, “Dad, you will be the first one we contact if we need a bartender for any event. You will be paid according to our scale for your work.”

“Thank you for thinking of me,” he replied, pulling her into a hug.

For the first time, Atsuhiro chimed in, “How many vehicles will I be responsible for?”

Haruhi looked embarrassed, “We don’t have any…”

“Actually,” Kaoru interrupted, “the Hitachiins decided to give the Hinan family the three-year-old stretch Hummer limousine they were rotating out of their fleet. That’s the only type they use in their photo shoots and they wanted to be sure one was available at Hinansho.”

Honey interjected, “The Haninozukas sent over an armor-plated SUV for secure transport for executive retreats.”

“The Morinozukas sent over a sedan for discrete transport for dignitaries and celebrities,” Takashi added.

“Okay, I stand corrected,” Haruhi chuckled.

Kairi asked, “Would it be possible to get a truck? I really prefer to go the farms myself to purchase produce. It’s fresher and better quality that way.”

Kyoya made a note. “I will look into that.”

Tamaki pouted, “It’s not fair. Everyone else has gotten to contribute to the Hinan family. What’s left for me to contribute?”

Hikaru leaned over and patted his arm. “Don’t worry, Tono. Something will come up that will be right up your alley.” 

Satisfied with the description of his duties, Atsuhiro asked, “Now that we’ve discussed all the work, what is included in the employment compensation package?”

“I wondered when someone was going to ask,” Kyoya said, smiling. “It includes an on-site apartment, two-weeks paid vacation, paid sick leave, full health coverage, and a generous annual salary based on your position and experience.”

He walked over to the desk in the corner and pulled several folders from his briefcase. Returning to the dining table, he handed the first folder to Shima. “This is your offer letter with your benefits outlined. The other sheet is the benefits and pay range for the personnel you will be hiring. I anticipate you will need four to six maids to clean the rooms and cottages.”

“That sounds adequate. I would prefer to clean the executive apartments myself,” she responded.

Haruhi protested, “I don’t need anyone to clean my apartment…”

With a sedate smile, Shima interrupted, “I know, that’s why I plan to do it myself. It will be more to reminder the young men to be aware of the state of their apartments.”

Shima finally opened her folder and gasped, “Kyoya-san, this is far too much!”

“Nonsense,” he retorted. “This is the least you deserve for your position and experience, but Hinan is new and just getting established, so it will have to do for now.”

Next he handed a folder to Tachibana.

“Thank you, sir,” he said and laid it beside his plate.

Bewildered, Kairi asked, “Aren’t you going to look at it?”

“No need. I trust Kyoya-san.”

Kairi looked at the stoic man and thought, “ _Oh right, he is Kyoya’s bodyguard. Of course, he knows Kyoya well and trusts him. Kyoya must have a lot of faith in him as well.”_

He was startled out of his thoughts when Kyoya handed him the next folder. Opening it cautiously, he looked at his offer and the pay range for the kitchen staff. His eyes grew wide. Opening and closing his mouth several times, he was finally able to speak. “With offers like this it should be no problem to staff the kitchen.”

Atsuhiro wasn’t sure what to expect when he was finally handed his folder. Because he would not need to hire any staff, there was only his letter in the folder. “You’re kidding me, right?” he asked. “All you want me to do is drive and maintain the cars and you’re willing to pay me this much, in addition to the apartment and everything?”

Kyoya nodded and explained, “Our friend, Haruhi, has taught us during this past year that the people who work for us are very important and how we compensate them should reflect that. If we believe your work is worth this much, then you will work like you think you’re worth it.”

“Wow. That’s not what my previous employers thought. They wanted the most work for the least cost,” Atsuhiro said, shaking his head, as if to settle the idea in his mind.

“Wait,” Tamaki asked, “what about Fuyumi’s contract as event coordinator?”

Before Kyoya could answer, Fuyumi stated, “It was already taken care of when Kyoya took me and my family out to dinner in appreciation for all my work on the property acquisition.”

Kyoya’s voice dripped with sarcasm as he added, “Did you think I would allow my own sister to work without a contract?”

Turning everyone’s attention back to the discussion at hand, Fuyumi looked up from her planner. “Well, it looks like we’ll only need one or two events per week to be able to meet all the expenses for Hinansho. Does that sound do-able to you? Shima? Kairi? Atsuhiro? Tachibana?”

The four shared a look and the men nodded to Shima, deferring to her wisdom and experience. “Quite manageable. We could probably handle twice that easily, but this is the Hinan family home and not a general resort.”

Ryoji spoke up, “I hate to be the wet blanket, but the kids have school tomorrow. Mitsukuni and Takashi have graduation practice and I’m sure you all remember how vigorous that can be.”

“Shima, since you’ve already moved into an apartment here at Hinansho, can I ask you to help Kairi and Atsuhiro choose apartments and get settled in?” Kyoya inquired.

She responded with a smile. “It would be my pleasure. It will be nice to have others around.”

“Then I will leave you three to work out the details among yourselves.”

Tachibana said, “I will review the packets from Haninozuka-san tomorrow morning and bring them to you tomorrow night. Then you can review them and start interviewing and hiring.”

As everyone was gathering their things from around Haruhi’s apartment, Mitsukuni said, “The Host Club will be back on Saturday. We intend to spend the summer here rather than traveling abroad as we usually do. Well, all except Haruhi usually traveled abroad.” He turned to Haruhi and said, “We need to get your passport. You never know when it may be needed.”

“Will all of the permanent staff need to be in place by Saturday?” Shima asked apprehensively.

“Oh no,” Haruhi answered. “I don’t need any help and the others could always bring someone from their family estates if they need help. We may want to have meals together in the small private dining room occasionally, but we can figure that out later.”

Shima relaxed slightly and said, “Very good.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kairi interjected.

The group headed to the front entrance together. Kairi and Atsuhiro drove off in their own cars. The Host Club with Tachibana, Fuyumi, and Ryoji left in the limousine and Shima locked up for the night.

 _“This will be an interesting adventure,_ ” she thought as she locked the door and turned out the lights.

* * *

 _“Well,”_ Haruhi thought, _“It’s good to know that the graduation ceremonies are the same for the elite as they are for everyone else. The only difference between this one and my middle school graduation was the week spent cleaning the school. The students don’t have to do the cleaning at Ouran. That did make it easier to study and take exams.”_

She sat hemmed in by Kyoya and Tamaki behind her, Hikaru on her left, and Kaoru on her right. 

Hikaru leaned over and whispered, “How much longer is this going to take?” 

Kaoru leaned in from the other side and whispered, “I’m bored!”

Tamaki leaved forward with his finger on his lips. “I want to hear my father’s speech. Be quiet!”

Kyoya watched Haruhi’s shoulders tense. “ _I can almost imagine her rolling her eyes at those three,_ ” he thought. “ _It’s all I can do to keep myself from reaching forward and rubbing her shoulders to get her to relax.”_

A few minutes later, Chairman Suoh finished his speech and they began singing the farewell song. Haruhi kept her voice very low, knowing that she really couldn’t sing very well.

Finally, the diploma presentations began. Haruhi’s eyes glowed with pride, and a few unshed tears, as she watched Mitsukuni and Takashi perform the very precise choreography of receiving their diplomas. _“Not much longer and they’ll head to their homeroom for goodbyes and autographs while we line the corridors to congratulate them during their final tour of the school. I can’t wait to meet up with them in the Third Music Room soon, so I can congratulate them and give them hugs.”_

* * *

 _“I’m glad we were able to find a place in the corridor near Mitsukuni and Takashi’s homeroom so we would have plenty of time to get ready for the graduation party,”_ Kyoya thought as he reviewed the spreadsheets from Fuyumi, Shima, Tachibana, and Kairi. _“It looks like things are off to a good start for Hinansho._ ” Surreptitiously, he looked over to where Haruhi was enduring Hikaru attaching hair extensions and Kaoru applying makeup.

Haruhi murmured, “Are you guys almost done? Mitsukuni and Takashi will be here soon and I still need to change into my dress.”

“Don’t worry. They still need to change into their suits and so do we. At least Tamaki changed into his before he had to go meet with his dad,” Hikaru responded exasperatedly. “Be patient.”

Haruhi started to turn her head to retort, but Hikaru held her head steady. “If you wore the wig, we’d be done already.”

“It’s too hot and heavy,” she retorted.

“So just sit still and let me finish,” Hikaru stated.

“Kaoru, you’re not going to get carried away with the makeup, are you?” Haruhi demanded.

“Actually, I’m almost done,” he replied placidly. “I’m using a new lightweight powder foundation that’s much more comfortable.”

“Wow, You’re almost done?” Haruhi responded. “It doesn’t feel all caked on like it usually does.”

“And done,” Kaoru said smugly, handing her a mirror.

Hikaru snatched it away before Haruhi has a chance to see herself. “I’m almost done. You can have a look then, and not before.”

“Spoilsport,” Kaoru pouted.

Haruhi giggled at the twins’ antics.

Just then the door opened and Tamaki, Mitsukuni, and Takashi walked in.

“And now I’m done,” Hikaru said, drawing Haruhi’s attention back to him as he handed her the mirror.

“Wow! You two outdid yourselves tonight. I look so natural,” Haruhi praised.

“That was the point,” the twins responded in unison. “Now we need to go change and see if Mitsukuni and Takashi need any help getting changed. Get into your dress so we can make sure it fits properly.”

Haruhi rolled her eyes as she walked to the changing room where her dress was waiting for her.

“The limo is leaving in fifteen minutes, so no dawdling,” Kyoya announced.

* * *

Mitsukuni helped Haruhi out of the limousine and said, “I’m sorry I can’t dance with you first. Our mothers insisted that they get our first dances tonight at our graduation party.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Haruhi replied, placing a hand on his arm. “We can dance later.”

The Host Club entered the ballroom together before Mitsukuni and Takashi split off to join their reception line with their parents. The remaining members handed their coats to the waiting maid who would see that they were taken to the guest rooms they would be using that night.

Kyoya led the way over to the receiving line to offer congratulations to the Haninozukas and Morinozukas on the successful graduation of their family heirs. He was followed by Tamaki, Haruhi, Hikaru, and Kaoru.

 _“I can do this,_ ” Haruhi kept repeating to herself. _“Mitsukuni and Takashi explained the ceremony to me. There’s nothing to worry about. Just use the skills I’ve developed as a host.”_

Takashi was the first in the line, then his parents. Next was Mitsukuni and finally his parents. In addition to being a graduation party, it was also a formal public presentation of the Morinozuka and Haninozuka heirs so there were a lot of dignitaries and celebrities expected to be in attendance.

After the Host Club had finished offering congratulations to everyone in the receiving line, Tamaki asked, “Haruhi, may I have this dance?”

“Of course, sempai,” she replied as she took his hand and he led her to the dance floor. A stately waltz was playing as they glided around the room.

“You did well in the receiving line,” Tamaki commented.

“Thank you. Mitsukuni and Takashi explained everything so I wouldn’t feel awkward,” she replied modestly.

As the song ended, Kyoya stepped forward. “May I have the next dance?”

“Of course,” Haruhi murmured as Tamaki placed her hand in Kyoya’s and then walked off to find another dance partner.

“You look lovely this evening,” Kyoya commented as he twirled Haruhi in time to the music.

“You are looking quite dashing yourself,” she replied with a smirk.

They chatted amicably until Kyoya felt a tap on his shoulder halfway through the song.

“May I cut in?” a cold, cultured voice inquired.

Kyoya turned, intending to deny the interloper until he saw that it was his father.

Giving Haruhi a slightly panicked look, he relinquished his hold and Yoshio Otori danced away with her.

“And how do you know my son?” Yoshio inquired bluntly.

Haruhi smiled at him indulgently. “ _Let the interrogation begin_ ,” she thought, smirking inwardly. _“Obviously he doesn’t recognize me as that upstart commoner scholarship student who talked back to him at the Ouran Fair._ ”

Aloud, she replied, “I attend Ouran and I met him there. He is a remarkable person.”

“Am I acquainted with your family?” he questioned with a calculating look in his eye.

“Oh, no,” she said self-deprecatingly. “My family is too insignificant to be noticed by the Otoris.”

Before Yoshio could question her further, the song ended and Hikaru appeared at her elbow.

“May I have this dance?” he asked.

Reluctantly, Yoshio relinquished Haruhi’s hand and watched Hikaru lead her away. _“Fascinating. I feel I should know her but I can’t place the face._ ” Suddenly it dawned on him that he had not asked her name. _“I’ll ask Kyoya who she is,”_ he decided.

“Thank you for the save, Hikaru,” Haruhi said lightly. “I don’t think he connected the young woman he was dancing with to the scholarship student that stood up to him. But I’d rather he didn’t.”

“If the song hadn’t already been near the end, I would have cut in,” Hikaru replied.

After several more dances with a variety of partners, Haruhi headed to the refreshment table for a cup of punch. Yoshio was waiting there to engage her in conversation again.

“Good evening, Otori-san,” Haruhi said politely before taking a sip of her punch.

“Good evening,” he replied. “I enjoyed our dance earlier, as well as the stimulating conversation.”

Smiling demurely, Haruhi merely nodded in response.

“So, what are your future plans?” Yoshio inquired.

Tilting her head slightly as if to gauge the sincerity of his inquiry, she finally replied, “I intend to become a lawyer like my mother. I currently have an internship with a local law firm.”

Yoshio’s eyebrow rose in question. “I thought Ouran students were not allowed to have jobs.”

“This is correct, strictly speaking. I pointed out to Chairman Suoh that most Ouran students have family connections that allow them on-the-job application of their academic concepts to broaden their understanding. My internship merely levels the playing field.” Haruhi sipped her punch to hide her smirk.

Before Yoshio could interrogate her further, Takashi appeared and said, “I believe this is our dance.”

She gently placed her cup on the table and took his offered hand. Once they reached the safety of the dance floor, she said, “Thank you for rescuing me, Takashi. Yoshio can be quite persistent.”

“Welcome. You look lovely this evening.”

She blushed lightly and relaxed into the dance, her left hand resting lightly on his chest because the height difference did not allow her to easily place her hand on his shoulder. His hand rested lightly on her shoulder rather than her waist.

When the dance ended, Takashi leaned down and whispered in her ear, “If my parents and all the dignitaries weren’t here, I would have just picked you up to eliminate the height difference. Maybe we can have a private dance later?”

Before Haruhi could respond, Mitsukuni appeared and whisked her away for a dance. “Finally, we get our dance,” he said, holding her firmly but gently.

“Did you enjoy your dance with your mother?” Haruhi asked.

“Yes. However, I did not enjoy the dances with the simpering daughters of the dignitaries. They made me feel like the only cake at a tea party—something to be fought over and awarded as a prize to the victor,” he responded sourly. “Now I know how you felt during all those games concocted by Tamaki and the twins.” His voice took on a hint of shame.

“Thank you for acknowledging and validating my feelings, Mitsukuni,” Haruhi whispered, running her left hand down his cheek.

Mitsukuni blushed at her touch and sighed in contentment. “I wish we could dance all night but there are three more girls my mother insists I dance with.”

Kyoya had watched Haruhi throughout the evening as she danced with others. _“I don’t dare dance with her again, especially after my father cornered her at the refreshment table._ ” He sighed as he watched Takashi whisper in her ear and then Mitsukuni whisk her away into a dance.

The graduation party ended near midnight and all of the hosts were thoroughly exhausted from their long, busy day. After a brief ‘good night’ they each headed to their room to get some much needed rest. The next morning after breakfast, they would be heading to Hinansho to spend the summer together.

* * *

Almost everyone was gathered in the dining room for breakfast the morning after Mitsukuni and Takashi’s graduation party. Haruhi had just arrived from cleaning up after her morning workout with the cousins.

“Hey, Haruhi, what’s keeping Mitsukuni?” Tamaki asked as she walked in.

“I thought he would already be here. My hair was being more difficult than usual this morning so I expected everyone to be waiting on me.”

Just as she finished, Mitsukuni burst into the dining room and asked frantically, “Has anyone seen Usa-chan? He wasn’t in his usual place after my workout this morning.”

Mitsukuni’s father snorted derisively. “You really don’t need that crutch anymore. Haninozukas are self-controlled and independent.”

“Maids packed?” Takashi inquired. “I’ll help you check after breakfast.”

Breakfast was a subdued affair under the watchful eyes of Mitsukuni’s parents following his father’s pronouncement.

As soon as everyone was done with their meal, Mitsukuni’s father said, “The limousine to take you to Hinansho will leave in thirty minutes. It will not be delayed. Be ready.”

Takashi said, “Mitsukuni, let’s head to your room and check your luggage.”

Hikaru, Kaoru, Tamaki, and Kyoya started toward their guest rooms to pack their luggage.

Haruhi said, “I already packed and placed my case in the entryway. I think I’ll take a walk through the gardens while I wait.”

As Haruhi strolled through the gardens and the other hosts packed, Mitsukuni tore through the trunks his maids had packed for his summer at Hinansho. Takashi followed along behind him, refolding clothes and repacking.

As Haruhi walked past the gardening shed, her eyes were drawn to a patch of pink. “ _Why would something pink be hanging out of the trash bin behind a gardening shed? It’s definitely not a flower_.” she wondered as she went to investigate.

When she took the lid off, there was Usa-chan with bits of plant debris clinging to him. “How did you get here?” Haruhi asked him and then blushed at the thought of being caught talking to a toy rabbit.

She brushed him off and cleaned him up as best she could. “ _I need to take you back to Mitsukuni,”_ she thought.

She was about to run to the house but stopped when she realized something. “ _You didn’t get here by yourself. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mitsukuni’s father ordered you to be thrown away where you wouldn’t be found until after it was too late.”_ Haruhi stood there holding Usa-chan and trying to figure out what to do.

At the front of the house, Kyoya looked at his watch and said, “We only have five minutes until the limousine is scheduled to leave. I’ll go find Haruhi.”

As Kyoya disappeared around the corner of the house, Mitsukuni and Takashi came out carrying Mitsukuni’s trunks.

“Where are Haruhi and Kyoya?” Mitsukuni asked.

Tamaki replied, “Haruhi was already packed so she went for a walk in the garden and …”

Hikaru interrupted, “Kyoya just went that way to find her and tell her it’s time to leave.” He pointed in the direction Kyoya had gone.

“I’ll go the other direction,” Takashi volunteered. He turned and headed off before anyone could say anything.

Just around the corner of the house, Takashi saw Haruhi near the gardening shed holding something. He hurried over and asked, “What do you have there?”

Haruhi was startled, but she smiled when she saw it was Takashi. “Look who I found in the trash bin,” she replied, holding up Usa-chan.

At that moment, Kyoya came from the other direction. He saw Takashi pick Haruhi up and spin her around with a huge grin on his face. What he could not see from his vantage point was the pink bunny held securely in her arms.

“We need to tell Mitsukuni right away,” Takashi insisted, finally setting Haruhi back on her feet.

“No,” she replied. “I think we should wait until we’re alone at Hinansho. Someone purposely wanted to get rid of Usa-chan. I don’t want them to know he was found.”

Takashi kissed her forehead. “That’s a smart idea. How will we get him there unnoticed?”

“Hmmm. My sweatshirt is baggy enough to hide him.” Matching deeds to words, she shoved the pink bunny under her sweatshirt and shifted it around so it was by her side where she could hold him in place with her elbow.

Kyoya cleared his throat to alert the pair of his presence. “It’s almost time to go,” he said.

“Yes, it is. Let’s get going,” Haruhi responded, grabbing his and Takashi’s hands and heading for the front of the house.

After their missing members appeared around the side of the house, the Host Club climbed into the waiting limousine.

“Haruhi should sit next to me,” Tamaki insisted.

“No. I have something I need to do during the trip. If Kyoya doesn’t mind, I’d like to sit in his usual spot next to the door.”

“I don’t mind,” he said flatly. He was about to sit next to Tamaki when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Haruhi looking at him.

“Would you sit next to me? I don’t want anyone to see what I’m doing. It’s a surprise.”

Kyoya looked a little puzzzled but responded, “Okay?” unsurely.

Haruhi pulled a notebook out of her satchel and started writing very slowly and meticulously. After a few minutes, she nodded in satisfaction and put her notebook away.

Ten minutes later, the limousine pulled up in front of Hinansho and unloaded the trunks and cases.

As soon as the limousine left through the gates, Takashi looked at Haruhi knowingly. The others looked between the two of them in confusion.

Haruhi smiled and reached under her sweatshirt.

“What are you doing?” Tamaki shrieked, waving his hands wildly.

“Oh, relax. I’m not taking my shirt off,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m just returning this to its rightful owner.” She pulled out Usa-chan and held him out to Mitsukuni.

“You found him!?!” he shouted, hugging the pink bunny tightly.

“When I took the walk in the gardens before we left, I found him in a trash bin behind the gardening shed. I hid him until we were alone here so no one would know he was recovered,” Haruhi explained.

Mitsukuni looked from Haruhi to Usa-chan and back again. He heaved a sigh and said, “Haruhi, please take Usa-chan home with you to protect him.” He looked sad as he held out Usa-chan for Haruhi to take.

She smiled and pressed the pink bunny back into his arms. “Wouldn’t it be better to keep him in your apartment here at Hinansho?”

At first he looked confused but then a smile started to light up his face again.

Pulling a paper out of her satchel, Haruhi said, “He doesn’t need adoption papers and he won’t be listed on the Hinan family registry, but I made this for him.”

Because Mitsukuni’s hands were full of Usa-chan, Takashi took the paper and read aloud:

**This certificate confers upon Usa-chan all the responsibilities and privileges of membership in the Hinan family.**

Haruhi proclaimed, “Usa-chan is the first one to be granted refuge by the Hinan family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story will be continued in Refuge, Part II: Gathering the Family. Currently planning to start posting April 2, 2020.


End file.
